Prosecutors dismiss leaking charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs and demand names of accusers

U.S. prosecutors have rejected Sean “Diddy” Combs’ accusation that government agents leaked evidence to undermine his defense against criminal sex trafficking charges and said the music mogul does not deserve to list the names of his accusers.

Prosecutors said Wednesday night in Manhattan federal court that Combs was “grasping at straws,” arguing he was the victim of leaks including 2016 hotel surveillance video of him physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie. .

Prosecutors said Combs failed to prove that any information was leaked from the grand jury investigating his case, adding that Combs knows the “highly evidentiary” video was obtained from elsewhere.

They also called his demand to name accusers a “thinly veiled” attempt to take over the government’s case and help him publicly defend himself against more than two dozen men and women who have filed civil lawsuits over his alleged sexual misconduct.

“This improper request should be rejected outright, especially here where there are serious and ongoing concerns about the safety of victims and witnesses, tampering and intimidation,” prosecutors said.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution, and has also denied wrongdoing in the civil cases.

Prosecutors said he will receive a significant amount of evidence, including a list of witnesses, as his criminal trial, set for May 5, 2025, approaches.

Combs’ attorney declined to comment Thursday.

Combs’ legal team argues that the Bad Boy record label founder shouldn’t “play a guessing game” to defend against “frivolous” claims in civil lawsuits from accusers, many of whom use aliases and demand big money.

In filings Wednesday, prosecutors also said Combs’ request to bar witnesses and attorneys is moot.

They cited an Oct. 25 ruling by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian requiring both sides to comply with local court rules.

Combs’ efforts to unmask his accusers received a boost Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Jumper in Manhattan said the woman suing Combs over an alleged 2004 rape cannot remain anonymous.

Jumped cited Combs’ interest in investigating the woman’s credibility, as well as the public interest in a public trial.

Other judges have discretion to apply her reasoning, which applies a federal rule governing civil cases.

Combs was arrested Sept. 16 and is appealing his more than six-week sentence at the troubled Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, where two detainees were fatally stabbed. A new tab is opening this year. He turns 55 on Monday.