New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a formal response Thursday night to the effort to remove her from acting as special prosecutor in the Cornell University sexual assault investigation over claims of political bias.
An attorney for defendant Gillio Lopes, who is one of the seven Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of sexually assaulting a female student in 2024, filed the petition to block James earlier this month.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed James as the lead prosecutor in the case several weeks ago, tapping her to replace Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten amid concerns about his handling of the probe.
James said in the court filing that the petition to remove her as special prosecutor relies on claims that "are not justiciable," and that there is no standing to remove her from the post, according to NBC News.
The attorney general also told people who called for her to step away from the investigation that she was "committed to leading a comprehensive investigation they can trust, guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law."
The move to remove James from the investigation comes after the attorney general made posts on social media that were sympathetic to the alleged victim who filed a lawsuit against the brothers. No criminal charges have been filed.
"What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I'm holding her in my heart and in my prayers," James posted to Facebook last month. "To her, and to all survivors: you're not alone. We stand with you."
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
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