Letitia James appoints ex-prosecutor to lead Cornell sexual assault investigation
Summary
New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed former federal prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly to lead the criminal investigation into a Cornell student’s allegations of sexual assault in 2024. The investigation was reopened after Governor Kathy Hochul named James special prosecutor, and a judge is considering a request to remove James from the case.Key Facts
- Kelly is a Cornell alumna and former chief of the civil rights unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
- Kelly will serve as outside counsel and report directly to James’s office.
- During her federal tenure, which ended in 2021, Kelly oversaw investigations involving Sean “Diddy” Combs, Peter Nygard and Ricardo Cruciani.
- The allegations concern a student who says seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted her over seven hours in October 2024.
- Hochul appointed James special prosecutor a month before Kelly’s appointment, citing concerns about Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten’s handling of the case.
- The case drew public criticism after no arrests were made and the student filed a civil lawsuit.
- Lawyers for one accused man asked a judge to remove James, citing a supportive post she shared about the student before her appointment.
- Judge James R. Farrell deferred a decision on the request and said all seven accused men would need to join it before he ruled.
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