A New York judge has rejected Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request for a gag order to bar government officials from leaking case details to the media, as Combs remains incarcerated on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. However, the judge, Arun Subramanian, issued a similar gag order, requiring both federal agents and Combs’ defense team to adhere strictly to laws prohibiting leaks from grand jury proceedings to ensure a fair trial.
Subramanian emphasized that “this order isn’t based on a finding that there has been any wrongdoing thus far, as the Court has made no findings at this juncture relating to defendant’s allegations that information related to the case has been leaked.” Instead, the judge explained, “The point of this order is to help ensure that nothing happens from now on that would interfere with a fair trial.” He added, “The Court will take appropriate action for any violation of the rules.”
Combs’ legal team, meanwhile, has alleged that federal agents leaked security footage showing Combs abusing his former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the defense claimed that this footage was released to CNN in an attempt to “mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations.”
The documents further accuse agents of “misusing [the videotape] in the most prejudicial and damaging way possible,” rather than presenting it as trial evidence with appropriate context. The FBI has denied any involvement in the video leak, stating to the court, “The Government was not in possession of the video before its publication by CNN.” They argued that “there is thus no colorable factual basis for the defendant’s claim that the Government leaked the video to CNN, let alone that it was leaked ‘in violation of grand jury secrecy.’”
Although Combs had previously acknowledged and apologized for the disturbing content in the video, he stressed that the footage, dating back to 2016, is unrelated to his current charges. Combs has been in custody since his arrest on September 16th and is awaiting trial on allegations of racketeering, sex trafficking, and prostitution-related offenses.
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