Embattled New York Attorney General Letitia James is planning to hire outside counsel to investigate the seven Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of raping a female classmate — after coming under fire to recuse herself for making prejudicial comments about the incident, The Post has learned.
The AG’s office has already interviewed multiple former federal prosecutors to probe the “Cornell 7” case, and the leading candidates include powerhouse lawyer Maggie Gandy, sources said.
Gandy was deputy chief of the organized crime and gang section as a former Brooklyn federal prosecutor and is now a partner in the women-owned boutique firm Corva Law LLP, which specializes in civil rights, sexual misconduct matters, and criminal defense.
Alexis Richards, a spokesperson for attorney general, said the office was in the process of seeking outside counsel help “before” anyone said James “should be removed from the case.”
She also said she hasn’t “even heard” Gandy is a candidate, adding “you should not report that.”
James had posted sympathy for the accuser on social media days before Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her on Oct. 1 as the special prosecutor in the exploding scandal.
“What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable,” the attorney general wrote on X on Sept. 28. “I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”
Critics – including President Trump — immediately called for her to step away, saying she was too political, biased and unethical to fairly investigate the case.
Norman Siegel, a longtime civil rights lawyer, said James is doing the right thing, adding that her taking the case would be like a police commissioner commenting on police misconduct cases before a probe is finished.
“These high profile cases have to be fair and unbiased,” the former New York Civil Liberties Union head said Saturday.
Here’s the latest on the ‘Cornell 7’ frat probe:
“People have to be extremely disciplined in what they say. The optics have to be 100% fair and unbiased.
“She tried to show empathy for the alleged victim,” he added. “I say ‘alleged.’ We don’t know all the facts. Some people have convicted the men in this case.
“It’s prudent for the attorney general to appoint an outside attorney to lead and assist the case at this point. It will address some of the optics that have been raised.”
Hochul erred in appointing James as a special prosecutor given the AG’s prior comments, and James should have recused herself or declined taking the case, said James Quinn, a former top prosecutor in the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
“It’s one mistake after another,” said Quinn, while adding that hiring an independent lawyer “is the only thing to do.”
It’s unclear how much contracting out an investigation will cost taxpayers, but James in 2021 hired former federal prosecutors Joon Kim and Anne Clark to investigate allegations of sexual harassment by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo – with the state agreeing to pick up a more than $3.5 million tab.
Republican Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor trying to unseat James as attorney general in the Nov. 3 general election, said the AG’s decision to seek outside help shows James “is not qualified to prosecute this case and not qualified to be the attorney general of this state.”
“This turn of events underscores what we’ve been saying all along — what New York needs now is a prosecutor as attorney general,” she said.
Gandy and Hochul didn’t return messages on Saturday.
“On Thursday evening, after the Governor appointed the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) as a special prosecutor, Attorney General James and her team began a comprehensive investigation led by OAG’s Criminal Justice Division. Since then, OAG has spoken with the Tompkins County District Attorney, Jane Doe’s attorney, and several candidates for outside counsel to support the investigation,” an OAG spokesperson said in a statement. “The DA has agreed to cooperate, and OAG remains committed to a thorough and independent investigation guided only by the facts and the law.”
James campaign spokesperson Grace Smoker bashed Komatireddy for her comments, saying, “It’s unconscionable that Ms. Komatireddy would play politics with a sensitive criminal investigation.
“It doesn’t get any lower than that. Attorney General James is focused on following the facts and the law. Our opponent should try to do the same.”
The “Cornell 7” case became national news after a “Jane Doe” filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court two months ago accusing seven fraternity brothers of raping her at Cornell’s Phi Chi fraternity house in October 2024.
All of the accused have denied wrongdoing.
