Cornell Fraternity Brother Accused of Rape Has Family Ties to Bill Clinton

Winston Lee, one of seven fraternity brothers at Cornell University accused of gang rape by a former student, is the grandson of Lee Hong-koo, who served as South Korea's Prime Minister and later as the country's ambassador to the United States.

Lee Hong-koo was prime minister from 1994 to 1995 and served as ambassador to the U.S. from 1998 to 2000, during Bill Clinton's presidency. The two statesmen had met on several occasions, including a 2000 ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and a 2005 meeting in Seoul when Clinton was promoting his autobiography.

Winston Lee was accused by a Cornell student, identified only as "Jane Doe," of snorting ketamine and forcing oral sex during an alleged gang rape. Cornell University suspended Lee for two years. He is currently enrolled in the university's College of Arts and Sciences.

Lee's grandfather passed away in May, and Winston was the chief mourner at his funeral in Seoul. The family, who are descendants of Korea's former royal family, has reportedly faced shame due to the allegations.

Winston's father, Barton Lee, is a Yale-educated investment banker and managing director at EIG in Hong Kong. Winston's mother, Ji Young Hwang, is the president of the Korean Women's Association of Hong Kong. Following the scandal, the organization deleted its Instagram page, drawing criticism.

Winston Lee, who attended the United World College of the Atlantic, has hired the law firm that previously represented Sean "Diddy" Combs and Harvey Weinstein in separate legal matters.

According to the lawsuit, Winston responded "CHI PHIII" to a Snapchat message discussing sexual activity and then allegedly took Jane Doe to another room with Matthew Ingalls, resulting in a sexual encounter that concluded around 5:45 a.m. Winston Lee has stated to Cornell investigators that his sexual contact with Jane Doe was consensual.

All seven accused fraternity brothers have denied any wrongdoing, and none have been criminally charged. Winston Lee and another accused student, Gillio Lopes, have sought to remove New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, citing her public statements labeling Jane Doe as a "survivor."