NY Gov. Vows to Unravel Failures in Cornell Sexual Assault Investigation

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Good evening from the newsroom. At the end of the day, that saw New York's governor appear with a new special prosecutor in the Cornell University alleged gang rape case, the president of the United States was asked about it. He didn't express sympathy or even say any word about the accuser, now known as Jane Doe. He did, however, say he, quote, feels badly for, unquote, the accused, because they, quote, won't get a fair shake. Here's the entire exchange, the question and the answer outside the White House late today.

SPEAKER_6 (1:14)

What do you think about New York's governor appointing a special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case, Letitia James?

SPEAKER_7 (1:21)

Well, Letitia James is a corrupt person. 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.

Anderson Cooper (1:36)

Then he walked away to his new helipad. There was a time when presidents, Republican and Democratic alike, would go out of their way not to comment on active criminal investigations. In this case, though, the special prosecutor, Governor Kathy Hochul, appointed as New York Attorney General Letitia James, and obviously the president despises her for investigating and successfully suing a business fraud lawsuit against him. The Cornell case centers on what happened to a 20-year-old woman at this fraternity house two years ago, whether it constituted a crime, and why an allegation from the accuser that a crime, rape, was committed never made it beyond university walls to the district attorney's office.

Kathy Hochul (2:16)

No institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public official gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people.

Anderson Cooper (2:32)

The breakdown she's referring to concerns what the accuser who is now suing Cornell reportedly told campus police, quoting her now, I can say with 100% confidence I was raped. Now that allegation was not included in the report, just six pages long, that the female student signed and that Cornell police handed over to the local district attorney.

Kathy Hochul (2:53)

She spoke to the police, she sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. And according to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100% confident that she had been raped.

Yet shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors. In what world would the police learn from a victim that she had been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?

Anderson Cooper (3:29)

Well, Governor Hochul also had harsh words for him, Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houden, whom the governor criticized for not investigating further based on what he learned from the Cornell police, limited though it was.

Kathy Hochul (3:43)

In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved or even request the full transcript? This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, and that at every turn she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.

Anderson Cooper (4:08)

Well, for her part, Attorney General James pledged a full investigation for as long as it takes.

Letitia James (4:14)

We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and if warranted, pursue prosecutions. I know that you want answers.

I do, too. A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through.

Anderson Cooper (4:41)

Well, Jane Doe's attorney says his client is, in his words, not doing well. He tells us she is, quote, under siege on social media with people trying to identify her. He also criticized the university police report and accused the school of a cover-up.