Former federal prosecutor to lead Cornell sex assault investigation

Matt Burkhartt/AFP/Getty Images

The New York attorney general’s office tapped a former federal prosecutor experienced in sex crime cases to lead the criminal investigation into allegations of sexual assault at Cornell University .

Jacqueline Kelly, a Cornell graduate, will have decision-making authority to investigate claims made by Jane Doe, a former Cornell student who has alleged seven male students sexually assaulted her at a Chi Phi fraternity party in 2024. They have denied wrongdoing.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday in a statement announcing the appointment that her office is committed to an investigation “guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law.”

James said Kelly “is a seasoned prosecutor who has overseen numerous cases from investigation through trial. With her criminal legal expertise, commitment to public service, and judicial experience, I am confident that she will lead a fair and comprehensive investigation.”

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP/File

A West Point cadet drugged his girlfriend to force an unwanted abortion. Then he graduated from Cornell

Kelly’s appointment comes a month after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order designating James as a special prosecutor because she “lost faith” in the Tompkins County district attorney, who had previously reviewed the case without filing charges. The allegations and scrutiny over Cornell’s handling of them drew national attention to sexual assault on college campuses.

“All New Yorkers deserve a fair and thorough inquiry into the facts of this case,” Kelly said in the attorney’s general’s statement.

At the time of Hochul’s announcement, officials with the attorney general’s office said they would appoint an outside lawyer to lead the investigation and present evidence to a grand jury, if warranted. The office previously appointed outside counsel to investigate civil claims of sexual harassment by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The office’s criminal authority is limited to investigating police-involved shootings, financial crimes and organized crime. Kelly’s experience will bring specialized skills to a sex crime investigation.

Kelly was the first chief of the civil rights unit created within the criminal division at the US attorney’s office in Manhattan in 2021. Until she left the office last year, Kelly oversaw criminal investigations of Sean “Diddy” Combs , who was acquitted of sex trafficking but convicted on transportation to engage in prostitution charges; Peter Nygard , a Canadian fashion designer charged with sex trafficking women and minors; and Ricardo Cruciani , a prominent doctor who was charged with sexually abusing numerous patients . She also handled organized crime cases.

Kelly will remain a partner at New York law firm Boies Schiller, which she joined last year, and staff the team from the attorney general’s office and her law firm, according to the statement. Boies Schiller has represented several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein in civil litigation, including one of the most outspoken ones, Virginia Roberts Giuffre , who died by suicide last year.

Judge sharply questions lawyers over request to remove Letitia James from Cornell sex assault investigation

It’s unclear if the appointment will impact legal challenges raised by two of the seven male students accused of assaulting Doe. In separate challenges the two Cornell students argued James is biased in favor of Doe based on statements she made days before her appointment.

On September 28, James wrote on X, “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. 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.”

Last week a New York state judge sharply questioned a lawyer for the attorney general about the statement and James’ appearance beside Hochul at a news conference on October 2 as the governor expressed support for Doe.

A lawyer for the attorney general’s office said it was not an “impediment” to an investigation and that the students’ claims of bias are without merit. James, she said, would follow the facts and the law.

The judge was also skeptical of the student’s petition because none of the others accused joined in support of it. He gave the lawyer until Thursday to get attorneys for the other students to sign on or produce legal arguments why it shouldn’t be dismissed on technical legal grounds.

Matt Burkhartt/AFP/Getty Images

纽约州总检察长办公室聘请了一位在性犯罪案件方面经验丰富的联邦前检察官，领导对康奈尔大学性侵犯指控的刑事调查。

康奈尔大学毕业生杰奎琳·凯利将拥有决策权，可以调查简·多伊提出的指控。简·多伊是康奈尔大学的一名前学生，她声称在 2024 年 Chi Phi 兄弟会的一次聚会上，有七名男学生对她进行了性侵犯。这些学生否认有任何不当行为。

纽约州总检察长莱蒂西亚·詹姆斯周三在一份声明中宣布了这项任命，并表示她的办公室致力于“仅以事实、证据和法律为指导”进行调查。

詹姆斯表示，凯利“是一位经验丰富的检察官，曾负责过众多案件的调查和审判。凭借她的刑事法律专业知识、对公共服务的奉献精神和司法经验，我相信她将领导一项公正全面的调查。”

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/美联社/档案照片

一名西点军校学员给女友下药，强迫她堕胎。之后他从康奈尔大学毕业。

凯利的任命是在纽约州州长凯西·霍楚尔发布行政命令，指定詹姆斯为特别检察官一个月后做出的。霍楚尔表示，她对汤普金斯县地方检察官“失去信任”，后者此前曾审查过此案，但并未提起诉讼。这些指控以及对康奈尔大学处理方式的审查，使大学校园性侵犯问题引起了全国的关注。

“所有纽约市民都应该得到对本案事实的公正彻底的调查，”凯利在总检察长的声明中说。

在霍楚宣布这一消息时，司法部长办公室官员表示，他们将聘请一名外部律师领导调查，并在必要时向大陪审团提交证据。此前，该办公室曾聘请外部律师调查前州长安德鲁·科莫的性骚扰民事指控。

该办公室的刑事调查权限仅限于调查涉及警方的枪击事件、金融犯罪和有组织犯罪。凯利的经验将为性犯罪调查带来专业技能。

凯莉是2021年曼哈顿美国检察官办公室刑事部门下设的民权小组的首任负责人。在她去年离开该办公室之前，凯莉负责监督对肖恩·“迪迪”·康姆斯（Sean “Diddy” Combs）的刑事调查，康姆斯被判无罪释放，但因运送他人从事卖淫活动而被定罪；对加拿大时装设计师彼得·尼加德（Peter Nygard）的调查，他被控贩卖妇女和未成年人；以及对著名医生里卡多·克鲁恰尼（Ricardo Cruciani）的调查，他被控性侵多名患者。她还负责处理有组织犯罪案件。

根据声明，凯利将继续担任她去年加入的纽约博伊斯·席勒律师事务所的合伙人，并继续从总检察长办公室和她自己的律师事务所组建团队。博伊斯·席勒律师事务所曾代理过多起杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的受害者民事诉讼，其中包括一位最敢于发声的受害者——弗吉尼亚·罗伯茨·朱弗雷，她于去年自杀身亡。

法官严厉质问律师们，为何要求将莱蒂西亚·詹姆斯从康奈尔大学性侵案调查中撤出。

目前尚不清楚这项任命是否会影响七名被控性侵约翰·多伊的男生中两名学生提出的法律挑战。这两名康奈尔大学的学生分别提起诉讼，声称詹姆斯法官在多伊被任命前几天发表的言论表明她对多伊存在偏见。

9月28日，詹姆斯在X上写道：“这位年轻女子被迫承受的苦难令人发指，无法接受。我为她祈祷，并将她放在心上。致她，也致所有幸存者：你们并不孤单。我们与你们同在。”

上周，纽约州一名法官严厉质问了司法部长的律师，内容涉及詹姆斯在10月2日州长霍楚出席新闻发布会并表示支持多伊一案时与霍楚一同露面一事。

总检察长办公室的一名律师表示，这不会“妨碍”调查，学生们关于存在偏见的指控毫无根据。她说，詹姆斯将依法依规行事。

法官对这名学生的请愿书也持怀疑态度，因为其他被告均未联署支持。他给了律师时间，要求其在周四之前找到其他学生的律师签署请愿书，或提供法律论据，说明为何不应因技术性法律理由而驳回此案。