Who is Letitia James? New York Attorney General faces heat as one of the seven accused in Cornell University rape case seeks her removal as special prosecutor

One of the men accused in a gang rape case at Cornell University is calling for New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James to be removed from the investigation. The accused has argued that James demonstrated "a bias and presumption of guilt" through a social media post. Seven men are accused in the rape case, which dates back to October 2024.

An attorney for the student Gillio Lopes asked an Albany court to cancel New York Governor Kathy Hochul's appointment of James as special prosecutor in the case, seeking her replacement with a new prosecutor "who is free from actual or perceived conflicts of interest or bias."

James was appointed last week

Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor last week, saying she had lost confidence in the Cornell University Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney, who had earlier refused to bring charges in the case.

The push to throw James off the case is based on a social media post from last month, when the attorney general had voiced support for the victim, who has been given the pseudonym Jane Doe.

What did James post about the case

"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," James wrote in a post on X on on September 28. She declined to comment on the post at a press conference last week.

Hochul defends the appointment

Governor Hochul has defended her decision to appoint James in the case. "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," she said.

James is first woman to be elected NY AG

Letitia James is the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York, according to the Office of the New York AG. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she was elected AG in 2018 and assumed office in January 2019. James is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and also the first woman to be elected New York AG.

Cornell rocked by rape accusations

The rape case has rocked Cornell, one of the most prestigious universities around the world, and sparked conversations about the treatment of sexual assault allegations on campuses. Jane Doe had made a complaint to the campus police in November 2024, a few weeks after the incident occurred in October of that year.

At that time, The Tompkins County district attorney reviewed a summary of Doe's statement and concluded that the incident did not constitute a crime. The case was reopened nearly two weeks ago, on September 27. The accused men have denied all allegations.