The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Trump initially trusted Cornell to ‘do what’s right’ — then Letitia James entered the case

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BS BULLETIN:

  • Trump initially said Cornell was a “fine school” and that he was sure officials would “do what’s right” in the explosive sexual-assault case.
  • The case involves seven former Chi Phi fraternity members accused in a civil lawsuit of drugging and sexually assaulting a student in 2024; the men deny wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed.
  • After Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, Trump said he felt badly for those being investigated because they would not get “a fair shake.”

President Donald Trump initially sounded willing to let Cornell University and local authorities handle an explosive sexual-assault controversy engulfing the Ivy League school.

Then Letitia James got involved.

Asked Thursday whether Cornell had done enough to investigate allegations that seven former fraternity members sexually assaulted a female student in 2024, Trump said he did not know much about the case but expressed confidence in the university.

“Well, I don’t know that much about it,” Trump said. “But Cornell’s a fine school, and I’m sure they’ll do what’s right.”

The controversy centers on a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, who alleges seven former Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted her during an October 2024 fraternity-house gathering after she had been drinking and was pressured into taking ketamine and other substances.

The accused men deny wrongdoing. Some maintain that the sexual activity was consensual, while others deny participating. No criminal charges have been filed against them. The case is especially contentious because accounts of what happened differ sharply.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said Doe’s sworn statement from November 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped and instead described the activity as “voluntary, conscious, and consensual.” The lawsuit filed nearly two years later contains substantially more serious allegations.

Cornell’s internal disciplinary process also produced mixed outcomes. According to the university, two students were expelled, two were suspended for at least two semesters, one had graduated before discipline could be imposed, and two were found not responsible for sexual misconduct. Cornell has rejected claims that those involved escaped with only minor punishment.

The political temperature rose dramatically when Gov. Kathy Hochul intervened. Hochul signed an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor after expressing concerns about the local handling of the case. James announced that her office had opened an active criminal investigation and said it would be guided by “the facts and the law.”

That is when Trump’s tone changed. Asked Friday what he thought of James taking over the case, Trump said he felt sorry for the people she would be investigating.

“Well, Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump said. “She’s totally corrupt and I cannot imagine it, and I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at, because they won’t get a fair shake.”

James has been one of Trump’s most prominent political and legal adversaries, most notably through the New York civil fraud case against him and his business. The Cornell investigation now puts her at the center of a case already loaded with disputed evidence, accusations of institutional failure and conflicting accounts of what happened.

The local district attorney has also reopened his investigation and said the matter will be presented to a grand jury, which can consider Doe’s testimony and any new evidence developed since the original investigation.

Cornell, meanwhile, has agreed to an independent outside review of its own handling of the allegations, separate from James’ criminal investigation.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

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