Accused man seeks to remove Letitia James from Cornell investigation

Crime · First reported 29 Oct, 18:52 · Updated 00:16

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

A man accused in a lawsuit over alleged sexual assaults at Cornell is challenging New York Attorney General Letitia James’s appointment to oversee a renewed criminal investigation, citing her posts expressing support for the accuser. The judge did not rule at Thursday’s hearing; a separate challenge is pending in another court.

The challenge argues that James’s posts about the accuser, made before her appointment as special prosecutor, show bias; her office says the challenge lacks merit.
The judge questioned the challenger’s arguments and authority to remove James, but issued no ruling at Thursday’s hearing.
The allegations stem from a former Cornell student’s lawsuit concerning a fraternity party in October 2024; no criminal charges had been filed as of the hearing.

Summary written by Lux AI from 2 articles

Key facts

Appointment: Hochul named James special prosecutor on Oct. 1.
Posts cited: James posted about the accuser on Sept. 28, before her appointment.
Alleged incident: The lawsuit concerns a fraternity party in October 2024.
Criminal charges: The reports say no criminal charges had been filed as of the hearing.
Separate challenge: A decision on Winston Lee’s Tompkins County challenge was expected Nov. 13.