NY AG Takes Over Cornell Rape Case After DA Ignored Key Evidence
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed as special prosecutor for the alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University, taking over from Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. NBC News reports that Van Houten declined to charge suspects based solely on a six-page statement from the victim, ignoring witness interviews and digital evidence collected by campus police. Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the DA for failing to interview the victim or review the full police transcript, which included the victim’s assertion that she was '100% confident' she was raped. The victim, Jane Doe, was not notified of the DA’s decision to drop the case for two months. James has declared the matter an 'active criminal investigation,' while Cornell University has paused fundraising and faces faculty backlash over its handling of the incident.