A second defendant named in a civil lawsuit alleging forcible drugging and gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house has requested that New York Attorney General Letitia James be removed from her role as special prosecutor in the case.
Winston Lee, a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, joined fellow fraternity brother Gillio Lopes in seeking James' disqualification. Lee's attorney, Teny Geragos, argued in a court filing that James and Gov. Kathy Hochul have created an "appearance of impropriety" and that James has "publicly prejudged the guilt" of the individuals under investigation.
"This public political stunt by the Governor and the AG to make repeated public statements, remove the case from the elected county prosecutor, and prejudge guilt in a criminal investigation for political advantage a month before election day is unethical and in violation of the law," Geragos stated. "The AG is unquestionably biased, as her own public statements show."
The lawsuit was filed by an undergraduate student identified as Jane Doe, who told Cornell campus police in November 2024 that she had been raped by multiple men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Each of the men accused has denied wrongdoing.
Governor Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor to investigate the allegations last week. Geragos cited a social media post by James stating, "What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I'm holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you're not alone. We stand with you." The attorney argued that it is unfair for an uncharged individual like Lee to be investigated by someone who has already publicly sided with the accuser and concluded guilt.
A spokesperson for the New York attorney general's office responded, "In this and every investigation, the Office of the Attorney General is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of nothing but the facts, the evidence, and the law."
When asked about her social media comments, James stated Thursday evening that they demonstrated "empathy" and assured that the investigation would be unbiased, thorough, and based on facts and evidence. "Politics stops at the door in my office," she said. "I can assure New Yorkers that we will engage in a thorough investigation, which will be based on the facts and the law, and guided by the evidence."
Governor Hochul also expressed confidence in James' ability to conduct a fair investigation, stating, "I have every confidence in our attorney general to do what she has always done: look at the facts, examine the record, and draw the proper conclusions. That’s exactly what’s going to happen in this case."