Diddy faces another hindrance in his ongoing legal battles as the judge reportedly denied his demand to investigate if prosecutors unethically exposed the notorious Cassie assault video.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled on Monday, rejecting all claims of “alleged government leaks of case information.” Subramanian declared, “As to the Intercontinental Hotel video, Combs [Diddy] has not carried his burden to show that the government leaked it to CNN.” “Combs argues that ‘the most likely source of the leak is the government,’ but he doesn’t point to any sound basis for this conclusion.” Additionally, the judge stated that prosecutors presented “compelling evidence that CNN’s source was not in fact the government.”
He continued, “And importantly, nothing in CNN’s presentation of the video even hinted that the source was a government agent.” “The Court reminds the public that whether the government can prove Combs’ guilt in this case will turn on the evidence presented at trial, not in a ‘trial by newspapers.’”
Diddy’s Defense Alleges Media Manipulation in Trial Leak Controversy
During an October trial, the mogul’s defense team alleged that the government was orchestrating numerous media leaks, particularly the hotel clip of him attacking Cassie.
Nonetheless, Diddy claimed that the leaks were “planned and executed” by the Department of Homeland Security. The legal filing stated, “The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason alone: to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations.” The documents also demanded the court to “forbid government attorneys and agents involved in the case from leaking any further information to the media.”
Had the judge sided with Diddy, crucial evidence could have been excluded from the trial, potentially leading to dropped charges against the embattled mogul.
Diddy, who is currently incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, is expected to remain there until his trial in May.
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