President Donald Trump denounced New York Attorney General Letitia James‘s ability to serve as special prosecutor for the reopened case surrounding gang rape allegations at Cornell University on Friday.
“Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump told reporters while speaking on the South Lawn. “She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person.”
The president’s disdain for James stems from her high-profile civil fraud investigations into his business dealings. James successfully brought a $454 million civil fraud case against Trump, his family, and his company in 2022. A New York appeals court threw out the case in 2026.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced James’s appointment on Thursday amid national attention over Cornell University’s handling of allegations that seven Chi Phi fraternity members raped a student identified only as Jane Doe in 2024. Ahead of Hochul’s move, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten revived the case based on new evidence filed by the alleged sexual assault victim.
Hochul claimed that she had lost faith in Van Houten’s ability to fairly oversee the case and tapped James for the special prosecutor role.
“As special prosecutor, the Attorney General will investigate this incident and, if warranted, prosecute any offenses arising from that investigation and present evidence to a grand jury,” Hochul said in a statement.
On Friday, Hochul also said she was “deeply disturbed at Cornell University’s police and how they handled this” during a press conference.
HOCHUL APPOINTS LETITIA JAMES AS SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN CORNELL GANG RAPE CASE
In the initial investigation of the case, just two members of the Chi Phi fraternity were expelled, and some were required to write essays or received a short suspension. None of the seven members was arrested or faced any legal consequences. Doe filed a lawsuit in September, suing the seven fraternity members, Cornell, the national and local chapters of the Chi Phi fraternity, the Delta Delta Delta sorority, and a bar in Ithaca, New York.
Trump’s comments come as he travels to Alabama to campaign for the Republican Party. In the final month of the midterm cycle, Trump is ramping up his stumping as the GOP seeks to keep control of the House and Senate.
David Zimmermann contributed to this report.