Hochul appoints Letitia James as special prosecutor in Cornell gang rape case

Published October 1, 2026 9:35pm ET | Updated October 1, 2026 9:58pm ET



Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for the reopened gang rape case at Cornell University on Thursday.

The governor made the move days after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten revived the case based on new evidence filed by the alleged sexual assault victim. With her appointment of a special prosecutor, Hochul believes Van Houten is not up to the task.

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