Grand jury in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs case hearing from witness who claims he has footage of Combs potentially victimizing celebrities
By Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN
(CNN) — A federal grand jury has been regularly convening in the continuing criminal investigation into music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, three sources told CNN.
Jurors on Thursday were expected to hear from a witness who claims he is in possession of videos that allegedly contain footage of celebrities potentially being victimized by Combs, one of the sources said.
Attorney Ariel Mitchell told CNN that one of her clients was summoned to testify in front of the grand jury on Thursday. This client, a man, has not filed any suits against Combs and is not claiming to be a victim of his alleged misconduct, according to Mitchell. He is a witness, she says, with information and evidence about accusations of sexual abuse and other misconduct by Combs, some of which allegedly involve celebrities.
“We are here to comply with the court’s order,” Mitchell told CNN over the phone, disclosing her client’s identity. (CNN is not publishing his name, at this time.)
Mitchell has also represented two female accusers of Combs. In one of those cases, she asked the court to withdraw, citing “undermining behavior and questionable antics” by her client.
When contacted by CNN, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
Representatives for Combs did not respond to CNN’s request for comment regarding grand jury testimony. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution and denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
“In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor,” attorneys for Combs previously told CNN in a statement.
In an earlier filing, attorneys for Combs accused lawyers for some of his accusers as having made “shockingly prejudicial and false allegations of sexual assault and abuse of minors”
Since Combs’ arrest last month, prosecutors have said multiple times that the government’s investigation into Combs is ongoing and active. On the day the three-charge indictment against Combs was unsealed in September, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, encouraged victims to “come forward and to do it quickly.”
At a hearing earlier this month, prosecutor Emily Johnson said that additional charges or defendants could be added to the case.
A source familiar with the federal investigation previously told CNN that new accusers and witnesses have met with federal agents since Combs was arrested.
“The grand jury is always meeting. This is an ongoing investigation,” a source familiar with the current state of the investigation told CNN on Thursday.
A separate source, also familiar with parts of the investigation said, “The grand jury has never stopped.”
News of this week’s grand jury testimony comes as the government indicated in a new public filing Wednesday that it has generated discovery material that includes video, audio and text messages from more than 60 of Combs’ own devices and iCloud accounts. In their 49-page filing, the government alleges that the forthcoming material will include additional communications with witnesses and victims, records related to “Freak Offs” and bank records showing payments to victims.
Combs’ criminal trial is tentatively set to begin in May 2025. Since last November, Combs has also been accused in more than two dozen civil cases of sexual assault or other misconduct, which he has denied.
The-CNN-Wire
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