New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the investigation of an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University, a development that underscores the alliance between the state’s top female leaders as they both seek re-election. The appointment came on Thursday, less than two weeks after the Tompkins County district attorney announced plans to revisit the October 2024 allegation by a female student who claims she was raped inside a fraternity house.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit last month against Cornell University, her sorority, the fraternity involved, and seven men accused of participating in the assault. None of the men have been criminally charged, and all have denied the allegations, with some stating that any contact with the plaintiff was consensual.
Governor Hochul emphasized the symbolic importance of having two women in top leadership roles during such sensitive moments. She described their joint leadership as a source of confidence for New Yorkers, stating that their perspective as women could bring a different approach to handling the case. Hochul also framed the move as part of her broader effort to project strength on crime issues ahead of the upcoming elections, countering her Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman’s criticism of her record.
Attorney General James, who is widely expected to win re-election next month, has faced scrutiny over her ability to remain impartial given her high-profile legal battles against former President Donald Trump and her outspoken criticism of his administration. In recent years, James has sued Trump’s businesses and administration multiple times, leading to accusations by opponents that her investigations were politically motivated. Trump himself called her “corrupt” and warned that those under investigation by her office would “not get a fair shake.”
Legal analysts and critics have pointed to James’s public statements about Trump and other politically charged cases as evidence that she sometimes mixes advocacy with her prosecutorial duties. For example, a divided New York appellate court last year criticized her for calling Trump’s presidency “illegitimate” and questioned her discretion in handling investigations fairly. Former Republican congressman John Faso, who supports a challenger in the attorney general’s race, described James as “a politician, not a prosecutor.”
James has rejected such critiques, affirming her commitment to objectivity and to basing decisions strictly on facts and the law. She declined to comment directly on the alleged victim’s statements or on social media posts expressing support for the accuser, noting that her office enforces laws to protect all New Yorkers without bias.
This is not the first politically sensitive case James has handled. In 2021, she conducted an investigation into then-Governor Andrew Cuomo concerning sexual misconduct allegations, which played a role in Cuomo’s resignation. Cuomo later accused James of manipulating the investigation for political purposes during her brief gubernatorial campaign against Hochul.
The two women have maintained a complex but cooperative relationship since Hochul became governor in 2021. They were scheduled to appear together at a campaign event in the Bronx shortly after James’s special prosecutor appointment, though scheduling conflicts prevented them from sharing the stage.
As the investigation unfolds, the joint leadership of Hochul and James highlights the intersection of politics and justice in New York’s handling of high-profile cases involving sexual assault allegations, while raising questions about the politicization of legal proceedings in the state.