New York Attorney General Letitia James's office has begun an investigation led by its Criminal Justice Division and has spoken with Van Houten, the woman's attorney and candidates for outside counsel to support the inquiry. The district attorney has agreed to cooperate, an attorney general's office spokesperson said in an Oct. 6 update, adding that the investigation would be “guided only by the facts and the law.”
Prosecutors reopened the case after the woman filed a civil lawsuit in September accusing seven men of rape and Cornell of failing to protect her. Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor after saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney's ability to oversee the case fairly. Defense lawyer Andrew Miltenberg has asked James to recuse herself personally, arguing that her earlier public support for the accuser created a question about the appearance of impartiality.