Anthony Ricco, the attorney representing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, has submitted a request to withdraw from the mogul’s legal team.

In a court filing with the Southern District of New York, Ricco did not provide specific reasons or evidence for his decision, stating only that he could no longer “effectively serve.”

He emphasised that while he has offered Combs a high standard of legal representation as expected by the court, he believes he “cannot continue to meet the necessary standards” set by the American Bar Association for Criminal Justice.

Ricco assured that his departure from the case would not impact the trial schedule, which is set to start in May. Combs would continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.

Combs faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, accused of operating a significant criminal enterprise involved in the assault and trafficking of women since at least 2008. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and is currently awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail.

On Tuesday, attorneys for Combs filed a motion to dismiss one of the sex trafficking charges against him, specifically for violating the Mann Act. The law prohibits the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution. The government has alleged that Combs transported male escorts across state lines to engage with his girlfriends.

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In their defence, Combs’ legal team argued that the escorts were part of a legitimate male escort service and highlighted the racially charged history of the Mann Act. Originally known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, it was enacted in 1910 and has been criticised for targeting Black men under the guise of protecting white women. The law has been historically used in high-profile cases involving figures like boxing champion Jack Johnson and musician Chuck Berry.

The filing stated, “This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution. Sean Combs is an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman, philanthropist, and one of the most accomplished Black individuals in this country.”