New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing an ethics complaint calling for her to recuse herself from the Cornell 7 case, after she publicly expressed support for the woman at the centre of the allegations.
The complaint was filed earlier this week by the National Legal and Policy Center, a Washington-based conservative organisation that monitors the conduct of public officials. It argues that Ms James showed bias before being appointed special prosecutor.
On September 28, Ms James wrote on X: “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable … To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”
The organisation said she should now step aside to “preserve the impartiality and integrity of any investigation and prosecution”. It also argued that the statement breached New York professional conduct rules, describing it as evidence of “clear bias” in a highly publicised case.
Ms James rejected the criticism on Thursday, saying she had been expressing empathy for the alleged victim. She said that was something “we need now more than ever in our body politics”.
Two men accused of wrongdoing by Jane Doe in her lawsuit, Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes, have also filed documents seeking to have Ms James removed from the case.
