Ex-federal Prosecutor to Head Cornell Sex Assault Probe

WHO:

CNN - New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed Jacqueline Kelly, a Cornell graduate and former federal prosecutor, to lead the criminal investigation into allegations of sexual assault at Cornell University.

CNN - Kelly was the first chief of the civil rights unit created within the criminal division of the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan.

The Washington Post - Kelly is a graduate of Cornell and Columbia University’s law school and a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner.

CNN - Jane Doe, a former Cornell student, alleges that seven male students sexually assaulted her; the students have denied wrongdoing.

NBC News - Kelly previously oversaw the criminal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

CNN - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul designated James as a special prosecutor after saying she “lost faith” in the Tompkins County district attorney.

WHAT:

CNN - Kelly has decision-making authority over the investigation. She will lead a team from the attorney general’s office and her law firm, and will report to James’s office, according to The Washington Post.

CNN - James said the investigation would be “guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law.” She described Kelly as an experienced prosecutor and said she was confident Kelly would lead a “fair and comprehensive investigation.”

CNN - Kelly said, “All New Yorkers deserve a fair and thorough inquiry into the facts of this case.”

CNN - The attorney general’s office said an outside lawyer would lead the investigation and present evidence to a grand jury, if warranted.

CNN - Kelly oversaw investigations involving Combs, Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard, and doctor Ricardo Cruciani, as well as organized-crime cases. Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking but convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution; Nygard was charged with sex trafficking women and minors; Cruciani was charged with sexually abusing numerous patients.

CNN - Kelly will remain a partner at Boies Schiller, which has represented survivors of Jeffrey Epstein in civil litigation, including Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

WHERE:

CNN - The alleged assault took place at a Chi Phi fraternity party at Cornell University; NBC News describes the location as a Cornell fraternity house.

The Washington Post - Kelly’s former U.S. attorney’s office was the Southern District of New York.

WHEN:

CNN - The alleged assault occurred in 2024.

CNN - Kelly led the Manhattan office’s civil rights unit from its creation in 2021 until she left the office the previous year.

CNN - Hochul designated James as special prosecutor a month before Kelly’s appointment.

CNN - James posted a statement on X on September 28 and appeared with Hochul at a news conference on October 2. A judge gave the attorney general’s lawyer until Thursday to obtain support from attorneys for the other accused students or argue against dismissal on technical grounds.

WHY:

CNN - Hochul designated James as special prosecutor because she said she had lost faith in the Tompkins County district attorney, who had reviewed the case without filing charges.

HOW:

CNN - Two accused students separately challenged James’s role, alleging bias based on her public statements supporting Doe. The attorney general’s lawyer said the statements were not an “impediment” and that the bias claims lacked merit.

(UPDATED November 4, 2026 19:11 UTC)

New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly to lead the Cornell sexual-assault investigation. A former student alleges seven men assaulted her; the accused deny wrongdoing. Two students challenge James’s role, citing her public statements supporting the accuser.