State Attorney General Takes Over Cornell Assault Case

Attorney General Letitia James will prosecute the alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity. Governor Kathy Hochul named her special prosecutor, an outside lawyer for impartiality, after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined charges. Hochul said new information undermined confidence in the local prosecutor and she would not let the case 'be swept under the rug.'