NY attorney general to hire outside counsel for Cornell fraternity rape probe

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 23:19 · Archive

New York Attorney General Letitia James will hire outside counsel to investigate seven Cornell fraternity brothers accused of rape after facing calls to recuse herself.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is planning to hire outside counsel to investigate seven Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of raping a female classmate. James was appointed special prosecutor in the case on 1 October.

James came under fire for posting on social media on 28 September, before her appointment, that she was 'holding' the accuser 'in my heart and in my prayers' and wrote 'to all survivors: you're not alone'. Critics, including President Trump, called for her to recuse herself, arguing that her statements showed she was biased and too political to fairly investigate the case.

The Post has learned that James's office has already interviewed multiple former federal prosecutors to lead the probe, with lawyer Maggie Gandy among the leading candidates. Gandy is a partner at Corva Law LLP, which specialises in civil rights, sexual misconduct and criminal defence. A lawyer for one of the accused fraternity brothers, Gillio Lopes, has filed a petition seeking to block James from the role, arguing that her statements of support to the alleged victim demonstrated bias. James's office asked a judge to dismiss the petition, saying the claims are premature and lack merit.

How it is being reported

• Smiling Attorney General Letitia James brushes off question about Cornell gang-rape case she's now in charge ofJames was appointed to lead an ongoing criminal investigation into the claims that the seven fraternity brothers with Chi Phi sexually assaulted a young woman known only as Jane Doe.Daily Mail · 25 Oct, 22:59
• AG Tish James to hire outside lawyer to probe ‘Cornell 7’ after making prejudicial comments about case: sourcesEmbattled New York Attorney General Letitia James is planning to hire outside counsel to investigate the seven Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of raping a female classmate -- after coming under fire to recuse herself for making prejudicial comments about the incident, The Post has learned.New York Post · 24 Oct, 22:26

In this story: Letitia James · Cornell University · Chi Phi · Maggie Gandy · Andrew Miltenberg · Kathy Hochul · New York

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