NY Governor Appoints Special Prosecutor in Cornell Rape Investigation

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the state's attorney general as a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged gang rape of a woman at a Cornell University fraternity house. The decision comes after the governor stated she had lost faith in the Tompkins County District Attorney's ability to fairly oversee the case.

"New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I've lost faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to fairly oversee it," Hochul said in a statement. The appointment removes Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from the investigation.

Van Houten had previously defended his office's decision not to file charges, citing insufficient evidence to meet the legal threshold at the time. He announced he was reopening the case less than two weeks before Hochul's announcement, following the filing of a civil lawsuit that brought the allegations to national attention. Van Houten stated that much of the information recently released was not initially provided to his office.

The woman, identified anonymously as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit in September against Cornell University. She alleges that she was drugged and raped by seven men at a fraternity house on campus in 2024. The lawsuit also claims that Cornell failed to protect her and adequately punish the individuals, who have collectively become known as the Cornell Seven.

The case was initially referred to Van Houten's office in 2024. At that time, he stated that his office did not pursue charges after reviewing a statement from Doe that implied the incident was consensual and that she had not been drugged. Cornell University has indicated that it provided evidence from its own investigation to the district attorney's office, including a Snapchat group chat where fraternity members reportedly discussed a sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault. Doe's lawyer has accused the district attorney of altering his statements amid media coverage.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has confirmed her office will lead the investigation, stating, "The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly." She added that her office stands ready "to lead a process guided by the facts and the law." The attorney general's office will pursue prosecution if warranted and present evidence to a grand jury. Hochul and James are scheduled to provide a joint update on the investigation.