Hochul made the charge after signing an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, citing lost faith in the Tompkins County district attorney’s ability to oversee the case fairly. James will investigate and, if warranted, prosecute offenses and present evidence to a grand jury.
Prosecutors reopened the investigation after the woman filed a civil lawsuit in September alleging Cornell failed to protect her. The district attorney had said her original police statement did not specifically allege nonconsensual conduct; her lawyer disputed that account, saying the statement and lawsuit were similar. Cornell supports reopening the criminal investigation and denies treating the accused fraternity members leniently.