New York Governor Kathy Hochul has officially appointed State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to handle the investigation into an alleged gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity. Her reasoning is simple: “New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County DA’s ability to fairly oversee it.” Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten will no longer be overseeing the case.
According to The Hill, President Donald Trump criticized the decision to bring James into the investigation. During an appearance on the South Lawn on Friday, the President stated, “Letitia James is a corrupt person.” He further expressed his concerns about the impartiality of the process by adding, “I feel bad for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake.”
This appointment comes after a woman, referred to as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged and gang raped by seven men at a Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Per ABC News, Hochul accused Van Houten of failing to do the “bare minimum” to investigate the claims when they were first reported, saying, “In what world does the district attorney not interview her or even request the full transcript?” She emphasized that the victim had spoken to police for hours, yet the DA relied on what she described as a “partial record.”
Hochul is looking for a fresh investigation
The BBC reported that the case was reopened recently after the civil lawsuit brought the allegations into the national spotlight. Previously, Van Houten declined to bring charges, arguing that his office did not have enough evidence to meet the legal threshold. He claimed he had only seen a statement implying the incident was consensual.
President Trump on New York Governor naming Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case: "Letitia James is a corrupt person… I feel badly for whoever she's looking at." pic.twitter.com/P8yLEsDi5Z
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 2, 2026
Recently, however, multiple investigative reports has resulted in the release of some of the transcripts that were part of Cornell’s findings. Van Houten told ABC, “It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the University. The focus has been and should continue to be on the victims.” The lack of charges has now led to growing scrutiny and outrage from the public and celebrities alike.
In an interview with ABC, Van Houten admitted that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police only and didn’t conduct an independent investigation. After the announcement, he expressed in a statement that he supported the governor’s decision to remove him from the case and pledged his cooperation with the attorney general.
According to the BBC, the investigation into what has been named the Cornell Seven involves allegations that the university failed to protect the student or adequately punish the men involved. Cornell University has stated that it provided evidence to the district attorney from its own internal investigation, which allegedly included a Snapchat group chat where fraternity members discussed a sexual encounter with the student.
Thomas P. Giuffra, the attorney for Jane Doe, expressed that he and his client are “pleased” with the appointment of a special prosecutor. ABC reported that he also noted that the “contradictions between the district attorney’s statements and those of the Cornell police have been shocking.”
The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) October 2, 2026
As our state’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. https://t.co/kaxzYSHAio
Per the BBC, Hochul noted that James could prosecute any offences she finds in her investigation. To that purpose, ABC reported that she said, “I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order.”
“We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions.” She also noted, “A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through.”
According to The Hill, Trump and James have had a long-running feud stemming from previous state lawsuits against the administration’s policies. ABC noted that this began when James sued Trump in 2022 for civil fraud with regard to his businesses. Trump went on to call the case politically motivated.
Before the appointment, Cornell had already agreed to Hochul’s request to initiate an independent review into how the University handled the allegations. In a statement to ABC, a Cornell spokesperson said, “We fully support the appointment of a special prosecutor and efforts to change New York State’s rape law and are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case.”
Choosing to have a drink is not consent, and it’s never a license for sexual assault.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 2, 2026
New York law should reflect that.
I support closing the voluntary intoxication loophole and will work with the Legislature to get it done.
ABC noted that Hochul is also pushing for legislative changes in New York to close legal loopholes that she believes hinder such investigations. She stated, “If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter whether they chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape. Period.”
