Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal representatives have claimed that the U.S. government improperly released details, including a recently found 2016 video showing him attacking Cassie Ventura, which they believe has swayed public opinion against him.

In a letter submitted in support of their request for a hearing in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of New York, examined by YSL News on Wednesday, Combs’ attorneys urged the judge for “four forms of relief” related to what they allege to be a string of illegal government leaks that have caused highly prejudicial pre-trial publicity, potentially compromising Mr. Combs’ right to a fair trial.

Lawyers Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos have called for a hearing to investigate these alleged government wrongdoings and want related agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, which conducted raids on Combs’ residences in March, to disclose communications and records concerning the supposed leaks to the media.

Additionally, they are requesting the court to prohibit federal employees from sharing evidence with the media and to suppress any information that has been leaked by government personnel.

This has reportedly led to an increase in “public hostility towards Mr. Combs before the trial,” they stated. In May, CNN released surveillance footage from the 2016 incident showing Combs kicking, hitting, and dragging his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel corridor. Combs later apologized for his “inexcusable” actions; however, his legal team maintains that the context relates to a toxic relationship, not evidence of sex trafficking.

Prosecutors have asserted that in the footage, Cassie was escaping one of Combs’ so-called “freak offs,” which they described to the district court judge in a letter in September as “elaborate sex performances” that were frequently recorded and could last days, often involving multiple sex workers.

A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to make any comments. YSL News has also contacted the Department of Homeland Security for a response.

Diddy’s team asserts Cassie received ‘eight-figure settlement’ and likely didn’t leak 2016 video

In their filing on Wednesday, Combs’ lawyers strongly suggested that the government is “the most likely source of the leak to CNN.” They argue that if a third party had access to the footage, they would likely have sold it to tabloids for profit rather than given it to a news organization like CNN.

“The government was aware of the content: a deeply troubling video showing Sean Combs in a towel assaulting a woman, clearly visible on the hotel’s surveillance,” the filing states.

They propose that “Victim 1,” presumably Cassie, might have shared the footage, but consider her “an unlikely source of the leak.” They state there is no indication that she or her attorneys had access to the footage. If she had access to the hotel video, her allegations in the November lawsuit claiming Combs of rape, abuse, and sex trafficking would have been “entirely different and far more detailed than what they were.”

Following their civil lawsuit, Combs and Cassie reached a settlement the next day. According to Combs’ attorneys, this settlement amounted to a significant eight-figure sum, and they noted that the government’s inquiry into Combs began only after her lawsuit.

Diddy’s lawyers accuse Homeland Security of leaking information to journalists

Combs’ lawyers are of the belief that the Department of Homeland Security, rather than the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which filed criminal charges against Combs last month, was behind these purported leaks. Homeland Security Investigations is a part of DHS and was involved in the investigation of Combs.

“A hearing is necessary to clarify exactly what actions the DHS took, and what the U.S. Attorney’s Office did to prevent these leaks,” the filing asserts.

Combs’ defense also shares instances of anonymous sources cited in a variety of news stories concerning the criminal investigation, believing these to have originated from DHS agents who disseminated the information.

“The leaks from the grand jury and the inflammatory public comments have nearly guaranteed that both the grand jury and the potential jurors will be biased against Mr. Combs,” their filing concludes.

What’s the status of Diddy’s case?

Combs’s legal team is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for a status hearing.

The hip-hop icon was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on September 16 and subsequently arraigned the next day on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and facilitating prostitution. Investigators allege that the 54-year-old orchestrated an elaborate operation.

He devised a plan to leverage his financial resources and prominence in the entertainment field to “satisfy his sexual urges” in a manner that was “recurrent and widely recognized” as abusive.

Since then, he has been held in the Special Housing Unit at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, continually asserting his innocence and pleading not guilty to all federal criminal accusations, despite facing several civil lawsuits in the last year.

Combs’ legal team is seeking to secure his release from jail prior to his trial, which currently lacks a scheduled date. Recently, they submitted an appeal for pretrial release to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, contesting Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr.’s decision on September 18 to deny his initial request for bail.

The defense has introduced a “comprehensive bail proposal” that includes a $50 million bond and the condition that his family relinquishes their passports.

Prior to this appeal, Combs had two bail requests turned down. The first was by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky, who agreed with the prosecutors’ claim that Combs would pose a danger if granted home detention.

“I have significant concerns about your counsel’s ability to manage you, especially regarding substance abuse and apparent anger problems,” Judge Tarnofsky stated to Combs and his lawyers, according to a court transcript reviewed by YSL News.

“The risks associated with releasing you are quite grave,” she remarked, concluding that the bond package his team proposed would not guarantee his presence in court, ensure community safety, or prevent witness tampering.

This story has been updated with new information.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN provides support via the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), as well as online at Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español at RAINN.org/es.