Cornell Assault Probe: Former Diddy Prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly to Lead State Inquiry

New York Attorney General Letitia James named Jacqueline Kelly as the lead investigator for the state's inquiry into a 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity house. The announcement came on Wednesday, marking the latest development in a case that has already triggered legal challenges from defense counsel.

Kelly is a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, a law firm that previously represented women who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse. She joined the firm as a partner last year. Her bio notes a specialization in high-profile regulatory or criminal investigations, as well as cases involving victims of sexual assault.

Before moving to private practice, Kelly served as a federal prosecutor. She oversaw the criminal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2025. That prosecution resulted in a conviction for transportation to engage in prostitution, while Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy counts. He is currently serving a 50-month federal prison sentence. Kelly also worked on the New York indictment of Peter Nygard, the fashion CEO who received an 11-year prison sentence in Canada in 2024 for sexual assaults.

The state investigation was ordered on Oct. 1 by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor directed the review after raising concerns that Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten did not perform a proper assessment of the incident. Van Houten had declined to bring charges after reviewing a six-page statement from the accuser. Records indicate his team did not review additional statements from the accuser or other witnesses interviewed by Cornell University Police Department.

The case began in September when a former Cornell student, suing under the pseudonym Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit. She accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of drugging and sexually assaulting her. The alleged incident took place on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024, at the chapter house, following what was initially described as a consensual threesome. The student reported the incident to the university and campus police in November 2024. She later dropped out of school.

James, who was re-elected as the state’s top law enforcement official on Tuesday, praised Kelly’s background. “With her criminal legal expertise, commitment to public service, and judicial experience, I am confident that she will lead a fair and comprehensive investigation,” James said in a statement. James also noted that Kelly is a “seasoned prosecutor who has overseen numerous cases from investigation through trial.”

Kelly thanked James for the appointment in a statement. “All New Yorkers deserve a fair and thorough inquiry into the facts of this case,” Kelly said. “I look forward to lending my years of experience as a federal prosecutor to the Office of the Attorney General as we examine all available evidence.”

Legal proceedings regarding the investigation's leadership are pending. Lawyers for two of the accused fraternity members have asked state judges to disqualify James from leading the case. They argue that past comments James made on social media in support of Jane Doe exhibit pre-judgment and bias. James has stated that her investigation will be fact-based and that her social media remarks were based on empathy for the accuser before her appointment.

James’s office announced on the day of Kelly's appointment that the attorney general was expected to recruit an outside attorney to assist in-house lawyers. Kelly is now set to bring a team from her law firm to support the probe. The office said it is committed to a thorough investigation guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law.

Winston Lee, one of the men accused in Jane Doe’s lawsuit, is represented by Teny Geragos. Geragos also defended Combs at his federal trial. Geragos declined to comment on Kelly’s appointment to lead the Cornell investigation.