US News
Accused man seeks Letitia James removal, alleging bias in Cornell probe
Associated Press reports that a man accused in a Cornell lawsuit cites James's September 28 posts supporting the accuser; her office calls the challenge meritless.
The short version
- A man accused in a Cornell University civil lawsuit asks a state judge to remove Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.[Associated Press]
- His lawyer argues James's September 28 social media posts supporting the accuser show bias; her office calls the challenge procedurally defective and substantively meritless.[Associated Press]
- Governor Hochul reassigned the renewed criminal probe to James on October 1, and no ruling on the challenge has been reported.[Associated Press]
Key facts
- James posted messages on X and Facebook on September 28 expressing support for the accuser.[Associated Press]
- On October 1, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order taking the case from Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten and naming James special prosecutor.[Associated Press]
- Van Houten declined to bring charges in the case in 2024.[Associated Press]
- Defense lawyer Andrew Miltenberg wrote in a court filing that James's post demonstrated bias and a presumption of guilt against the defendants.[Associated Press]
- James's office argued in a court filing that the challenge is procedurally defective and substantively meritless.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- Whether James's posts create disqualifying bias is disputed; the challenge's merits have not been decided, according to the reporting.[Associated Press]
- The outcome of the request before the state judge has not been reported.[Associated Press]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Man accused in Cornell rape lawsuit wants Letitia James removed from investigation over her postsAssociated Press · Wire: associated-press