A single social media post could get Letitia James thrown off the explosive Cornell rape case

A single social media post could get Letitia James thrown off the explosive Cornell rape case Four men named in a former Cornell University student’s lawsuit are joining a co-defendant’s effort to block New York’s attorney general from leading a reopened criminal investigation into the woman’s gang rape allegations - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Four more men accused in a former Cornell University student’s lawsuit have signed on to a co-defendant’s bid to have New York’s attorney general removed from the reopened criminal investigation into her gang rape allegations, court filings lodged on Thursday show. The men agreed to be added to a court petition seeking Attorney General Letitia James’ removal from the case, according to the co-defendant’s lawyers. The petition argues she should be taken off because of social media posts she made before her involvement, in which she condemned the alleged assault and voiced support for the accuser. The move came a day after James named Jacqueline Kelly, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw sex crimes cases against music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, as outside counsel for the investigation. Kelly and a team of lawyers and investigators will handle evidence gathering, witness interviews and other investigative steps, reporting to James. James said in a statement on Wednesday that she is confident Kelly “will lead a fair and comprehensive investigation.” The case began when a former Cornell student identified in court papers as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in September alleging that several men raped her at a fraternity party in 2024. The woman said some of the men pressured her into using ketamine and marijuana, and that she drank alcohol that left her too intoxicated to consent. Not all of the men named in the lawsuit were accused of rape. James, a Democrat, posted about the case on X and Facebook on Sept. 28, linking to a news article about the lawsuit. “I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.” She initially declined to comment about the posts, but addressed them at an Oct. 8 debate, saying: “Those comments demonstrate empathy, and what we need now more than ever in our body politic is more empathy." On Oct. 1, Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor overseeing the criminal investigation. Hochul said she had lost faith in the local district attorney, who declined to bring charges in 2024 but had said he would restart the investigation following the former student’s lawsuit. A judge heard arguments last week on one of the accused men’s request to remove James, but said he would not rule without knowing whether the six other lawsuit defendants backed the effort. He gave the man’s lawyers until Thursday to try to get them to join. Lawyers for one of the four men now agreeing to join had separately filed court papers seeking to have James removed. Two other men named as defendants in the lawsuit did not have lawyers to speak for them and did not respond, court filings said. In court, the state’s lawyers argued that Hochul has wide latitude to appoint special prosecutors, and said she picked James because of her track record handling sensitive cases in the national spotlight. Andrew Miltenberg, a lawyer for the man spearheading the removal effort, said in a court filing that Kelly’s appointment “changes the face of the investigation" but "does not establish any change in ultimate authority.” James’ office declined to comment.