Federal Prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly to Lead Cornell Rape Probe

Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday that Jacqueline Kelly will lead the reopened criminal investigation into gang rape allegations at Cornell University. Kelly is a former Manhattan federal prosecutor and a partner at the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner. She will serve as outside counsel for the probe.

The investigation was triggered by a September lawsuit filed by a former student. The student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleged that several men raped her at a fraternity party in October 2024. She claimed the men pressured her into using ketamine and marijuana and gave her alcohol that left her too intoxicated to consent. She reported the incident to campus police and the university’s Title IX office a few weeks later.

Kelly and a team of lawyers and investigators from her firm and the attorney general’s office will gather evidence and interview witnesses. They will also review investigative records and analyze applicable law. The team will report directly to James, who was appointed as special prosecutor by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Oct. 1. Hochul said she lost faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten after he declined to bring charges in 2024.

James made the announcement one day after winning election to a third term. In a statement, James described Kelly as a seasoned prosecutor who has overseen numerous cases from investigation through trial. James said she is confident Kelly will lead a fair and comprehensive investigation.

Kelly graduated from Columbia Law School and spent nearly a decade in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office. She led the civil rights unit in the criminal division and oversaw prosecutions for sex crimes, hate crimes, and voting rights violations. Notable cases included the prosecution of Ricardo Cruciani and Jesus Concepcion for sexual abuse, as well as a dozen members of the Lucchese crime family. She joined Boies Schiller Flexner last year and will remain at the firm while conducting this investigation.

Two men named as defendants in the lawsuit are asking a judge to remove James from the investigation. They argue James is biased because she posted social media support for the accuser before her appointment. A judge has not yet ruled on that motion. James has stated her investigation will take months.

Cornell hired former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates last month to review the school’s response to sexual assault and harassment. Yates will examine how the school investigates these claims and how campus police respond. The case has raised questions about how universities and local prosecutors handle campus sexual assaults.