Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ attorney responds to raids on properties in a statement

There's breaking news. An attorney for rapper and producer Sean Diddy Combs is maintaining his innocence in the first public statement since yesterday's federal raids on his homes in Florida and California. CNN security correspondent Josh Campbell is joining us now from Los Angeles with more. Josh, give us the latest. Yeah, Wolf. Well, an attorney for Sean Combs blasting federal agents who were at both residences yesterday in Miami and here in Los Angeles, blasting what they're calling a show of

force by armed tactical agents. The attorney describing this as a witch hunt, saying that this was a gross overuse of military level four. Still, he says that Combs is cooperating with investigators. I'll read you part of the statement. He goes on to say, Neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested, nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and w

ill continue to fight every single day to clear his name. Of course, Wolf, the law enforcement action that that attorney is criticizing involved dozens of federal agents showing up yesterday at these residences. This team of federal agents, Wolf, responsible for investigating very serious federal crimes. Sean Diddy Combs, music mogul, the definition of now, the target of a federal investigation carried out by a team that specializes in human trafficking crimes. Two homes belonging to Combs, one

in Los Angeles and one in Miami Beach were searched Monday, according to a law enforcement source briefed on the investigation. A second law enforcement source familiar with the search warrants tells CNN agents were authorized to search his homes for documents, phones, computers and other electronic devices. Armed vehicles descended on the property simultaneously, a precaution related to armed private security teams employed by Combs. His homes were searched by HCI, the principal investigative a

rm of the Department of Homeland Security, with personnel stationed across the globe, which specializes in countering human trafficking. Focused both on rescuing victims and identifying and prosecuting suspected traffickers. This investigation coming on the heels of several civil lawsuits. All of them were incredibly graphic, accusing Diddy of rape, grooming, sexual assault, drugging women. There's a lot of similarities in these lawsuits. One of those from a former girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura,

who goes by the stage name Cassie, alleging rape and physical abuse was settled in November. In a December statement, Combs responded to the claims in all the lawsuits, saying sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear. I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. Cassie's attorney responding to Monday's searches and the investigation. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsi

ble for his depraved conduct. Another lawsuit filed in February by a former employee, producer Rodney Jones, who goes by the stage name Little Rod, accusing Combs of, among other things, sexual assault. The musician was not at either home at the time. His whereabouts still unknown. This is a huge stain on his reputation, to say the least. And this really feels like a fall from grace for one of the biggest stars and moguls in the music world. Now, of course, Wolf, the big question, what, if anyth

ing, that investigators find at either residence in Miami and here in Los Angeles, and how might that information factor in to this ongoing criminal investigation? That's it right now, Wolf. Investigators aren't saying. All right. Josh Campbell reporting for us. Thanks for all that. Let's bring in attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva martin right now. Areva, what's your read on this defiant statement from Diddy's lawyer? Well, it's something that I expected, Wolf. When you look at the st

atement that Diddy himself made in December, he has been pretty consistent in his statements that these allegations against him are not true and that these individuals that have filed lawsuits are doing so only to try to extort money from him. That was one of the statements that was made after Jones, the producer, filed his lawsuit in February. So I think it's consistent with what we're hearing from Collins's legal team. Where does this investigation, Areva, go from here? Could Diddy actually be

criminally charged anytime soon in this federal sex trafficking probe? Well, one thing we do know, Wolf, is that in order for this law enforcement agency to raid both of his homes in a way that they did, they had to get a warrant and to get that warrant, they had to present a probable cause statement before a magistrate judge. So they had to produce some evidence that they were going to find no evidence of criminal activity in his homes. Otherwise, they would not have been able to get those sea

rch warrants. So we do know. Despite not hearing directly from these law enforcement agents that clearly there is a criminal investigation underway and that they believe that there would be evidence of crimes in one or both of these homes. And if you read that, Rodney Jones lawsuit, it is replete with very, very serious and salacious allegations, including allegations that Combs had cameras throughout his homes where he videotaped himself and others having sexual activity with sex workers and in

some cases even underage girls. So there are some very serious allegations that have been made against Sean Combs out of these previous lawsuits against Diddy alleging sexual misconduct. Possibly inform this new investigation? Well, you know, one thing, what that was always curious was as these civil lawsuits were being filed, the question was always looming as to whether these same individuals making a claims in civil lawsuits were also talking to law enforcement agents. If you're claiming in

a civil lawsuit that you've been raped, that you've been a drug that you've experienced sexual assault, one would imagine that you've also made those same complaints to some local district attorney, FBI or some kind of law enforcement agency. So I'm not surprised. I don't think many people are surprised that there is some criminal investigation that is running parallel to these civil lawsuits, particularly when you look at the nature of the allegations. And again, they're allegations. Nothing's

been proven in court, but they are very serious allegations. Yes, they are. Do you expect, Areva, we may actually hear from Diddy himself any time soon? I do not think so. He gave that statement on social media in December. But now that his homes have been raided by federal agents, I don't think we're going to hear anything from him. We will continue perhaps to hear through his attorneys or his continued denial of the allegations that have been made against him. But I have to imagine that his la

wyers are telling him that anything he says at this moment could be used against him if these criminal charges ultimately result in some kind of prosecution and trial. So I do not expect that we will hear anything from him either in person or on social media. Areva martin, thanks for that analysis.