- Former Manhattan federal prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly has been appointed as outside counsel to lead New York Attorney General Letitia James' criminal investigation into gang rape allegations at Cornell University.
- The investigation stems from a September lawsuit filed by a former student who alleged that several men gang-raped her at a fraternity party in October 2024.
- Kelly, a Cornell alumna and partner at Boies Schiller Flexner who previously supervised high-profile sex crimes prosecutions against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Peter Nygård, will lead a team gathering evidence to present to James.
- Governor Kathy Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor on Oct. 1 after losing faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who previously declined to bring charges.
- Two men named as defendants in the lawsuit have asked a judge to remove James from the probe, arguing she displayed bias through a social media post supporting the accuser prior to her appointment.
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