Four Accused Seek Removal of NY AG
Court filings show four men joined a motion to remove Letitia James from the Cornell case over her social media posts.
By Adrian Parker ·
Four men named in a lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student have joined a legal effort to remove New York Attorney General Letitia James from a reopened criminal investigation. The men filed documents with the court on Thursday, supporting a motion to disqualify James from directing the case.
The attorneys for the co-plaintiff stated that the four men agreed to be included in the petition. The request argues that James should be removed because of social media posts she made before becoming involved in the investigation. In those posts, she condemned the alleged assault and expressed support for the woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe.
This legal development followed James's appointment of Jacqueline Kelly as an external advisor for the investigation on Wednesday. Kelly, a former federal prosecutor, previously supervised the sexual assault cases against Sean Combs. Her team will handle evidence collection and witness interviews, reporting directly to James.
A judge heard arguments from one of the accused last week regarding the motion to remove James. The judge decided to hold off on a ruling until the other six defendants indicated whether they supported the initiative. The court gave the attorneys until Thursday to secure the remaining support.
Two of the other men named in the lawsuit did not file a response because they did not have legal representation at the time. The office of Attorney General James declined to comment on the new filings. In a statement released on Wednesday, James said she was confident Kelly would conduct a fair and thorough investigation.
Jane Doe filed her lawsuit in September, alleging she was raped by several men at a fraternity party in 2024. She claimed some men pressured her to consume ketamine and marijuana and that she drank alcohol until she was too intoxicated to consent. Not all men named in the suit were accused of rape. Governor Kathy Hochul appointed James as special counsel on October 1, citing a loss of confidence in the local district attorney, who had previously declined to file charges in 2024.
James posted about the case on X and Facebook on September 28, sharing a link to a news article. She wrote, "I carry her in my heart and in my prayers. Her and all survivors: you are not alone. We are with you." In an October 8 debate, James defended the posts, saying they demonstrated empathy. Andrew Miltenberg, the attorney leading the removal effort, argued in court documents that hiring Kelly changes the direction of the investigation but does not change James's ultimate authority.
