Chuck Philips, the Pulitzer-winning Los Angeles Times reporter who has devoted the latter part of his career to investigating the deaths of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., has been let go by the paper.

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As a reward for needlessly sullying Diddy's reputation, Los Angeles Times reporter Chuck Philips will keep his day job. [NYT]

The Los Angeles Times has officially retracted its "Diddy knew about that attack on Tupac" story from Chuck Philips, admitting it got duped by imprisoned conman James Sabatino, hoping to save itself from a lawsuit, and making clear its reporting standards do not deserve Pulitzer Prizes. [LAT]

After publishing an article accusing Sean Combs of knowing about an 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur before it took place, based on facts later outed as completely false, the Los Angeles Times might find itself in a courtroom with Diddy's lawyer. Or at least a conference room, working out a settlement agreement over defamation charges. Nothing is certain yet, but in a statement, Diddy's attorney Howard Weitzman hinted legal action might be the next step: The "apology is, at best, a first step, but it doesn't undo the false and defamatory nature of the story, or the suspicion and innuendo that Mr. Combs has had to endure due to these untruthful allegations and the irresponsible conduct of this particular reporter." LAT owner Sam Zell might return to cursing just yet.

Here's the Los Angeles Times' apology to Sean Combs for fingering him as involved in a 1994 assault on Tupac Shakur — an allegation made based on fake FBI documents journalist Chuck Philips received from con man James Sabatino. "In relying on documents that I now believe were fake, I failed to do my job," said Philips in a statement. Interestingly, Philips is "an acquaintance" of Smoking Gun editor Bill Bastone, who helped expose the fraud. Says the LAT: "The two met not long ago for lunch, discussing their mutual passion for investigative reporting and other matters." The apology appeared on today's front page, below the fold.

Looks like the Los Angeles Times got hosed when Pulitzer winner (though not-always-trusted journalist) Chuck Philips accused Sean "Diddy" Combs of knowing about a 1994 attack on Tupac Shakur before it happened. Diddy, of course, denied the charge. As did the family of Chris Wallace/Notorious B.I.G. when Philips earlier accused the rapper of putting the hit on Tupac in '96.

And they had good reason: It's likely none of it was true. The Times got its info from FBI documents that are now being labeled as fakes, concocted by jailed con man James Sabatino, who tried to fictitiously insert himself in the lives of hip-hop heads.

Diligent reporting from The Smoking Gun reveals the docs aren't in any FBI database and that Sabtatino – "an audacious swindler who has created a fantasy world in which he managed hip-hop luminaries, conducted business with Combs, Shakur, Busta Rhymes, and The Notorious B.I.G., and even served as Combs's trusted emissary to Death Row Records boss Marion 'Suge' Knight" – was able to distribute them himself by conveniently redacting the names of the federal agents working on the case. Too bad there are other ways to search for the files in the FBI's records and, low and behold, they don't turn up.

And also, just like the documents involved in the fall of Dan Rather, their physical elements are a giveaway. Cue an internal investigation at the LAT! And, maybe, a major libel suit from Diddy!

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The Los Angeles Times hits today with a huge story accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of knowing the assault on Tupac Shakur, at his Quad City studio in New York, was coming weeks before it went down that in November '94, escalating the bi-coastal hip-hop war. (Tupac was fatally shot in 1996.)

Writing the article is none other than Chuck Philips, who previously alleged Chris Wallace/Notorious B.I.G. was the one who put the fatal hit out on Tupac. Wallace's family vehemently denied those claims.

Philips maintains the New York-based rappers, who were supposed to be rivals themselves, knew there was going to be violence, but no shooting; only when Tupac pulled a gun did the plan go awry. And who was behind the shooting? Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond, says Philips; Henchman now manages the career of The Game, among others.

Naturally, Diddy is already on the defensive. After refusing to comment for the LAT article, his label Bad Boy just issued us this statement: "This story is beyond ridiculous and is completely false. Neither Biggie nor I had any knowledge of any attack before, during, or after it happened. It is a complete lie to suggest that there was any involvement by Biggie or myself. I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times would be so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untrue story."