Letitia James fair Cornell rape probe vow collides with accused aides quiet exit

New York Attorney General Letitia James has pledged a full and fair investigation into the Cornell 7 gang rape allegations, years after she faced accusations that she ignored warnings of sexual misconduct against her former chief of staff and allowed him to "quietly resign" while allegedly keeping his accuser in the dark.

The claims stemmed from a 2022 lawsuit filed by James' former deputy press secretary, Sofia Quintanar. A New York judge dismissed the claims against James personally and the Attorney General's Office in February 2025. The decision was upheld by an appellate court in May 2026.

Those allegations against James have received new attention after New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house associated with Cornell University in October 2024.

"Kathy Hochul lost faith in the local DAs handling of the Cornell sexual assault case. So she picked Letitia James. Did you read Sofia Quintanars lawsuit, Governor?" Sam Antar, a fraud investigator based in New York wrote on X.

CORNELL SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE REVIVES SCRUTINY OF A LITTLE-KNOWN NEW YORK LAW ON INTOXICATED VICTIMS

"Youre entitled to question the DAs handling of Cornell," Antar continued. "Were entitled to question Jamess handling of her own aide and your choice of James to restore public confidence."

James is already facing calls to recuse herself from the case after an attorney for one of the defendants pointed to social media posts she made days before her appointment that appeared to take the alleged victims side.

"What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable," James posted on X on Sept. 28. "Im holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: youre not alone. We stand with you."

Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney representing accused student Gillio Lopes, filed a court petition on Oct. 7 requesting James to be removed from the case. Miltenberg argued that James' remarks raised concerns about whether she could independently evaluate the evidence and determine whether criminal charges were warranted.

"New York Attorney General Letitia James has always taken these matters seriously and followed the facts and the law," a spokesperson for James told Fox News Digital.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that James' public comments could complicate her investigation.

"It is problematic for a prosecutor like Tish James to be commenting on a case publicly before the investigation is concluded," Rahmani said.

"And the problem is, if you file criminal charges, whether it's through a complaint or a grand jury indictment, that may taint the potential jury pool in a criminal case," he added.

Rahmani acknowledged that James likely did not anticipate being appointed when she made the remarks but said defense attorneys could still raise concerns about her involvement.

Hochul has defended her decision to appoint James.

"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," Hochul said during