New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and AG Letitia James are set to give an update on Cornell rape case – WPLG Local 10

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and AG Letitia James are set to give an update on Cornell rape case  WPLG Local 10

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s governor and attorney general were set to give an update Friday morning about the investigation into a woman’s allegations that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday she appointed the office of Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the investigation, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case. The investigation initially was closed without charges in 2024. Last month, the woman filed a lawsuit and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation. He has since been bombarded by criticism that he abandoned the original investigation too quickly.

The attorney general will oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury, Hochul said. “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," she said in a statement Thursday. Van Houten didn't immediately respond to Thursday messages seeking comment. The case has roiled the Ivy League campus and raised questions about its response and the larger issue of how sexual assaults are handled on college campuses. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, told campus police in November of 2024 that she was sexually assaulted, then