One of the defendants in the case involving gang rape allegations at Cornell University has filed a petition to block Gov. Kathy Hochul’s appointment of state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the case.
According to the complaint, the defendant says the appointment is improper because the AG has “unequivocally demonstrated a bias and presumption of guilt against the defendants named in the civil case.”
“Specifically, three days prior to her appointment as Special Prosecutor, on September 28, 2026, at 6:13 p.m., Attorney General James posted to the Attorney General’s official social media platform X’s account: ‘What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you,’” the complaint states.
The petition seeks to have James’ appointment blocked.
Spectrum News 1 reached out to the offices of the governor and attorney general for comments.
A spokesperson for the AG said, “On Thursday evening, after the Governor appointed the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) as a special prosecutor, Attorney General James and her team began a comprehensive investigation led by OAG’s Criminal Justice Division. Since then, OAG has spoken with the Tompkins County District Attorney, Jane Doe’s attorney, and several candidates for outside counsel to support the investigation. The DA has agreed to cooperate, and OAG remains committed to a thorough and independent investigation guided only by the facts and the law.”
A spokesperson for Hochul referred to comments she made last week where she said she had every confidence in the AG to look at the facts and draw the proper conclusions.
This comes as the Ithaca Common Council on Wednesday night passed a resolution to temporarily ban issuing permits for Cornell-related events, citing safety concerns.
Council members passed the measure with nine members in favor and one opposed.
The moratorium is in effect through Nov. 5 unless the council takes action.
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
