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Attorney General Letitia James appointed as special prosecutor in Cornell rape case

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday said she issued an executive order to appoint Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the alleged gang rape that took place at a Cornell fraternity in 2024. Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University's campus, Hochul said in a statement. This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public's faith, in the District Attorney's ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time, Hochul added. In a statement, James said she is ready to lead a process New Yorkers can trust, guided by the facts and the law. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images - PHOTO: New York Governor Hochul Makes AI Safety Announcement Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly. The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly, James said. The appointment of James as special prosecutor comes five days after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he would reopen the investigation into the former student's allegations. 'I felt like bait,' Jane Doe said at 2025 Cornell University hearing investigating allegations of fraternity house sexual assault Late last month, the former student, listed as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell. Van Houten said in a statement on Sunday that his office was considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, though he said the allegations in the civil complaint are dramatically different than the woman's statement to police two years ago. Lauren Petracca/Reuters - PHOTO: Student assembly at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York In an interview with ABC News , Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and said his office didn't independently investigate the allegations. On Wednesday, Cornell University agreed to initiate an independent investigation into how the Ivy League school handled the allegations, Hochul told ABC News. New York Gov. Hochul calls for 'transparent, independent review' of Cornell response to alleged group rape Hochul called for the outside review , saying the allegations raised serious questions about Cornell campus culture and whether the university is doing all it can to protect students. Cornell shares Governor Hochuls commitment to addressing campus culture issues, which affect universities across the nation and New York. We are committed to continuing to work with state officials to advance student safety and wellbeing, a Cornell spokesperson said in a statement provided to ABC News. This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/US/attorney-general-letitia-james-appointed-special-prosecutor-cornell/story?id=136937149