Updated Oct. 1, 2026, 10:46 p.m. ET
New York Attorney General Letitia James, the state’s top lawyer known for investigating President Donald Trump, will lead the Cornell University gang rape investigation, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the evening of Thursday, Oct. 1.
“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 released on her official X page. “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”
Hochul’s move to put James in charge of the investigation marks a serious step forward in getting to the bottom of the case that has caused outrage across the nation.
News of the rape allegations broke in mid-September after the woman at the heart of the case filed a lawsuit against the school over their mishandling of the case. According to the lawsuit, seven members of the school’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and raped the woman.
“Cornell supports Governor Hochul’s decision to assign this case to the New York Attorney General’s Office,” a university spokesperson said when asked abut the state’s decision.
The New York university has been slammed for their handling of the case which dates back to October 2024.
An attorney for the woman who filed the suit told CBS News that Cornell expelled two of the seven fraternity members. Others, her lawsuit said, were allowed to write essays to help mitigate their punishments.
The university’s handling of the seven involved might not be unique. According to a USA TODAY exclusive investigation, the school expelled or dismissed just seven students accused of sexual violence between 2018 and 2024.
James’ investigation of the president dates back to 2022 when her office sued Trump civilly, alleging he fraudulently inflated the value of his assets for years to get better loan deals. New York State Judge Arthur Engoron agreed and, after a months-long trial, ordered Trump himself to pay a penalty of about $454 million.
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