Hochul said she believes Cornell University did not provide enough information about the accuser’s account of the alleged sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Hochul also faulted Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten for not doing a more comprehensive investigation.
“In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript” of Jane Doe’s interview with Cornell University campus police, Hochul said.
“This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable,” Hochul added.
In a statement after Hochul’s news conference, Van Houten said he supported James’ appointment, adding: “I trust that she will examine the facts and apply the law.
“It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the University,” Van Houten said. “The focus has been and should continue to be on the victims. My office will cooperate fully with the Attorney General.”
Hochul said she backs proposed changes to current New York state law, which makes it difficult for a person who has voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs to seek criminal justice for an alleged sexual assault.
“Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape. Period,” Hochul told reporters. “I support closing this loophole, and will work with the New York state Legislature to accomplish this.”
The accuser, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, reported the alleged assault to university police in November 2024, about three weeks after she said it took place, according to a civil lawsuit. The Ivy League university then sent a sworn statement to Van Houten’s office.
Van Houten’s office “determined the alleged facts as set forth in the statement do not constitute a crime,” the district attorney has said. In a lengthy statement Monday, Van Houten said the sworn statement Jane Doe provided to campus police “did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped.”
But news reports have since complicated that characterization. CBS News New York, citing a transcript of a conversation between Jane Doe and investigators, reported Wednesday that she told campus police: “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.
NBC News has not independently verified the transcript.
James, a frequent target of President Donald Trump, has been the subject of several criminal referrals seeking to prosecute her on various allegations. She has denied wrongdoing and her attorney has called the referrals during Trump’s second term a vendetta against her.
Asked about her appointment Friday, Trump told reporters outside the White House that James was “totally corrupt” and said, “I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake.”
Jane Doe’s lawsuit names seven fraternity members as defendants. It also accuses the fraternity, her sorority and a bar she visited on the night of the alleged assault of negligence.
The national Chi Phi organization has called the sexual assault allegations at Cornell University “deeply concerning,” and the sorority said it could not comment on pending litigation. The bar denied serving alcohol to Jane Doe, who was under the legal drinking age at the time.Cornell has defended its 2024 investigation.
In response to a request for comment on Hochul’s news conference, a Cornell spokesperson said: “We fully support the appointment of a special prosecutor and efforts to change New York State’s rape law and are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case.”
The case has drawn extensive news coverage and wide attention on social media. Hollywood celebrities such as Oscar-nominated actor Florence Pugh and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay highlighted Jane Doe’s lawsuit on Instagram.
“This is a human issue, not a women’s issue,” Pugh wrote in an Instagram post Sunday. “We are all involved.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at https://www.rainn.org/get-help.
