Letitia James appoints ex-prosecutor to lead Cornell sexual assault investigation

Key Points:

• New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed Jacqueline Kelly, a former federal prosecutor involved in the Sean “Diddy” Combs case, to lead a criminal investigation into 2024 sexual assault allegations at Cornell University.
• Kelly, a Cornell alum and former chief of the civil rights unit in the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, will serve as outside counsel and report directly to James's office.
• The investigation follows Governor Kathy Hochul naming James as special prosecutor after expressing loss of faith in the Tompkins County district attorney's handling of the case, which involves allegations that seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted a Cornell student.
• The case has drawn significant public backlash due to no arrests being made and the victim filing a civil lawsuit, with some accused men's lawyers seeking to remove James as special prosecutor over a social media post expressing support for the victim.
• A judge deferred ruling on the request to remove James, stating all accused men must join the request before a decision can be made on her impartiality.