Diddy Attorney Files to Withdraw From Federal Case

10:41 AM PT -- We're getting more clarity on Anthony Ricco's departure ... sources with direct knowledge of the case tell us Ricco and Diddy's relationship -- or lack thereof -- became an issue. We're told Ricco felt he was unable to establish or maintain the kind of relationship he'd need to have with the client in order to "effectively" defend him.

It's still unclear why exactly Ricco didn't feel closer to Diddy.

Diddy's latest legal drama is on his own team ... less than 3 months before his federal trial, one of the hip hop mogul's attorneys is abruptly bolting from the case.

Anthony Ricco filed a motion Friday morning in the Southern District of New York federal court to withdraw as Diddy's counsel. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Ricco states, "under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice."

He offered no further explanation for his departure, but did add that there are "sufficient reasons for [the] brevity" of his request. Ricco does say he's discussed the action with Diddy's lead counsel Marc Agnifilo, confirming there won't be any lapse in representation or delay with jury selection or trial commencement.

Ricco had joined the Diddy defense in September 2024, and his sudden departure from the case -- without detailed explanation -- might seem like a crisis, but sources connected to Diddy tell TMZ ... there's no panic, and little to read between the lines here.

We're told, "The rules of professional conduct require him to say things that might sound dramatic, and unlike the way people normally speak." The source also said, "There's no crisis," and Diddy's lead counsel team of Agnifilo and Teny Geragos has been the same for nearly a year.