Former federal prosecutor appointed to lead Cornell sexual assault probe

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday that Jacqueline Kelly, a former federal prosecutor, will lead the investigation into an alleged 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity house. The New York Post, NBC News, and the Wall Street Journal reported that James is stepping back from the probe. Kelly previously oversaw the criminal case against Sean "Diddy" Combs. [1][2][3][4]

The New York Post and NBC News both reported that Kelly is a graduate of Cornell University. According to NBC News, Kelly served as the first head of the criminal civil rights division in the United States attorney's office in Manhattan. The New York Post reported that the victim, identified as Jane Doe, sued seven fraternity members involved in the alleged assault. [1][3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, defense lawyers for accused men Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes previously filed legal petitions asking a judge to remove James as special prosecutor. The defense argued that James publicly pre-judged the guilt of the accused men on social media after posting supportive messages for the accuser before being appointed to lead the case. [9][10]

James has served as the 67th attorney general of New York since 2019. Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York. [6][8]