Letitia James Faces Recusal Calls in Cornell Investigation Over Prior Statements

New York Attorney General Letitia James has vowed to conduct a full and fair investigation into the alleged gang rape at Cornell University, an appointment that has drawn scrutiny and calls for her recusal. The investigation, assigned by Gov. Kathy Hochul, comes years after James herself faced accusations of mishandling allegations against her former chief of staff.

Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney representing one of the students accused in the Cornell case, filed a court petition on October 7 requesting James' removal. Miltenberg cited social media posts James made on September 28, days before her appointment, which appeared to express solidarity with the alleged victim. In those posts, James stated, "What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable... To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you." Miltenberg argued these remarks raise concerns about her ability to impartially evaluate the evidence and decide whether to pursue criminal charges.

James' office responded that the Attorney General has "always taken these matters seriously and followed the facts and the law." A spokesperson added, "The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. We will be guided by the facts and the law."

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani commented that such public statements before an investigation concludes can be problematic. "It is problematic for a prosecutor like Tish James to be commenting on a case publicly before the investigation is concluded," Rahmani told Fox News Digital. "And the problem is, if you file criminal charges whether it's through a complaint or a grand jury indictment, that may taint the potential jury pool in a criminal case."

Governor Hochul defended her decision to appoint James, stating on October 2, "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."

These calls for recusal echo past controversies involving James. In 2022, a lawsuit was filed by Sofia Quintanar, James' former deputy press secretary, alleging that James ignored warnings of sexual misconduct against her then-chief of staff, Ibrahim Khan, and allowed him to resign quietly. Quintanar claimed she was kept in the dark about the investigation and that James made misleading statements to the press. The lawsuit alleged Khan forcibly kissed Quintanar in November 2021 and that James subsequently blocked Quintanar from obtaining a campaign job after she rejected his advances.

In February 2025, a New York judge dismissed the claims against James personally and the Attorney General's Office. An appellate court upheld this decision in May 2026, finding that the lawsuit did not sufficiently demonstrate that James was aware of Khan's alleged misconduct. However, the appellate court did allow a federal civil rights claim against Khan to proceed and revived retaliation claims against Khan and James' re-election campaign. Khan ultimately resigned in November 2022 after an investigation substantiated the allegations against him.

The lawsuit also referenced earlier allegations from 2014 involving another former employee, Angel Dubose, who claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a holiday party. While a 2017 New York Post article linked Khan to the alleged assault, the report was later removed after Dubose could not recall her attacker or identify Khan as the perpetrator. James stated she referred Dubose's allegations to law enforcement and other agencies in 2017. Investigations by the Manhattan district attorney's office and New York City's Department of Investigation were closed without charges. James described these allegations as "unsubstantiated" in a December 2022 interview.

James' office stated it learned of Quintanar's allegations against Khan on October 2, 2022, directed him to work remotely the next day, and hired an outside law firm to investigate on October 4. Despite the dismissal of claims against James and her office by lower and appellate courts, some critics argue that New Yorkers should not overlook the prior allegations. "What about justice for former staffer Sofia Quintanar?" one social media user posted. "She spoke out about sexual harassment and NY AG Letitia James had this woman blacklisted in the entire state of NY."