State AG appoints former federal prosecutor to lead Cornell assault probe

The New York attorney general's office has selected a former federal prosecutor to lead the criminal inquiry into sexual assault allegations at Cornell University.

Jacqueline Kelly, who graduated from Cornell, will hold decision-making authority over the case. She will investigate claims brought by Jane Doe, a former student who alleges seven male students assaulted her at a Chi Phi fraternity party in 2024. The accused students have denied wrongdoing.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the appointment Wednesday. James stated her office is dedicated to an investigation guided only by the facts, evidence, and law. James described Kelly as a seasoned prosecutor with judicial experience who has managed numerous cases from investigation through trial.

Kelly's role follows an executive order signed by Governor Kathy Hochul last month. Hochul designated James as a special prosecutor after losing faith in the Tompkins County district attorney. That official had previously reviewed the case without filing charges. The move brings national attention to how Cornell handled the allegations.

Kelly served as the first chief of the civil rights unit in the Manhattan US attorney's office starting in 2021. Before leaving that role last year, she oversaw criminal investigations involving Sean Combs, Peter Nygard, and Ricardo Cruciani. She also handled organized crime cases. Kelly remains a partner at Boies Schiller, a New York law firm she joined last year, and will staff the team from both the attorney general's office and the firm.

The appointment may affect legal challenges filed by two of the accused students. They argued James showed bias in favor of Doe based on statements made before her appointment. On September 28, James posted on X that the experience was horrific and unacceptable, adding that she was holding Doe in her heart and prayers. A state judge questioned the attorney general's lawyer last week about that statement and James' public support for Doe at an October 2 news conference.

The judge gave the lawyer until Thursday to secure signatures from the other accused students or provide legal arguments to save the petition. A lawyer for the attorney general's office said the prior statements were not an impediment to the investigation. The judge remains skeptical because the other five accused students did not join the challenge.