Politics

New York attorney general names outside counsel to lead Cornell sexual assault probe

Jacqueline Kelly will lead the criminal probe as lawyers for accused men allege prejudice by Attorney General James.

Published Nov 4, 2026 · 21:44 UTC3 reports

The short version

Attorney General Letitia James appointed Jacqueline Kelly as outside counsel to lead a criminal investigation into 2024 sexual assault allegations at Cornell University.[The Guardian]
Governor Kathy Hochul had earlier named James special prosecutor, saying she lost faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.[The Guardian]
Lawyers for accused men allege prejudice over a social media post and seek James's removal, and the judge has deferred a ruling.[Associated Press · The Guardian]

Attorney General Letitia James appointed Jacqueline Kelly as outside counsel to lead a criminal investigation into 2024 sexual assault allegations at Cornell University.[The Guardian]
Governor Kathy Hochul named James special prosecutor in the case, citing loss of faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten after his 2024 decision not to prosecute.[The Guardian]
Lawyers for accused men sought James's removal as special prosecutor, alleging prejudice over a social media post she made before her appointment.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
Judge James R. Farrell deferred a decision on removing James and indicated all accused men would need to join the request before he would rule.[The Guardian]

Reports differ on how many accused men sought James's removal, with one outlet reporting one man and another reporting two men.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
The removal request remains undecided, and the judge indicated all accused men must join it before ruling.[The Guardian]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.