New York AG James files opposition to effort to bar her from Cornell investigation

Key Points:

• New York Attorney General Letitia James opposed a petition seeking to remove her as special prosecutor in the Cornell University rape investigation, arguing the claims of political bias are not legally valid.
• The petition was filed by an attorney for Gillio Lopes, one of seven men sued over allegations of rape at a Cornell fraternity house, who claimed James showed bias and presumed guilt.
• Governor Kathy Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor in October, citing concerns about the handling of the sexual assault allegations by university police and the local district attorney.
• No criminal charges have been filed in the case, which involves a woman identified as Jane Doe alleging she was raped and drugged at the fraternity in 2024; attorneys for Lopes and another defendant, Winston Lee, deny the accusations.
• Both Lopes and Lee’s legal teams cited a supportive Facebook post by James for survivors of sexual assault as evidence of bias, but James affirmed her commitment to a fair, evidence-based investigation.