{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DigitalDocument","altText":"EXHIBIT(S) - 4. Governor Hochul October 1, 2026 Statement","alternateName":"NYSCEF-case-20f2fbf9d925-000007.pdf","caption":"NYSCEF document #7 | Filed: 2026-10-07 | Filed by: MILTENBERG, ANDREW T Filed:  Received: | Docket status: Processed Confirmation Notice | Case: Lopes v. Hochul (Cornell 7 Lopes Against Special Prosecutor Assignment Tish James) | Source: NYSCEF","contentUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/447/raw","datePublished":"2026-10-16T19:59:27+00:00","description":"NYSCEF document #7 | Filed: 2026-10-07 | Filed by: MILTENBERG, ANDREW T Filed:  Received: | Docket status: Processed Confirmation Notice | Case: Lopes v. Hochul (Cornell 7 Lopes Against Special Prosecutor Assignment Tish James) | Source: NYSCEF","encodingFormat":"application/pdf","identifier":"447","isAccessibleForFree":true,"machineReadable":{"json":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/447/index.json","markdown":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/447/index.md"},"name":"EXHIBIT(S) - 4. Governor Hochul October 1, 2026 Statement","ocrStatus":"ready","ocrText":"--- Page 1 ---\nExhibit 4 \n \n \nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n10/7/26,\n5:30 PM\nStatement\nFrom Governor Hochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual Assault Case | Governor Kathy Hochul\n| NewYork State\nAn official\nwebsite\nof NewYork State\nHere's\nhow you know v\n\u00acOVERNORKATHYHOCHUL\nStatement\n(/keyworcis/statement)\nSEPTEMBER\n29, 2026\nAlbany,\nNY\nStatement\nFrom Governor\nHochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual\nAssault\nCase\n\"The\nallegations\nin this\ncase are nothing\nshort\nof horrifying.\nFor any student\nto come forward\nafter\nan\nexperience\nlike\nthis\ntakes\nextraordinary\ncourage.\nNo student\nshould\never be left\nwondering whether\nthe\ninstitutions\nmeant to protect\nthem will\nlisten\nand act.\n\"I support\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney's\ndecision\nto reopen\nthe criminal\ninvestigation.\nBut there\nare also\nserious\nquestions\nabout\nCornell's\ncampus culture\nand\nits\nsystems\nfor\nprevention,\nreporting,\nand\nresponse.\nThat\nis why I amcalling\nfor\noutside\ncounsel\nto conduct\na transparent,\nindependent\nreview\nof the\nuniversity's\nresponse\nto determine\nwhether\nCornell\nmet every\nobligation\nto protect\nits\nstudents\nand pursue\njustice.\"\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-hochul-cornell-university-sexual-assault-case\n1/4\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n10/7/26,\n5:30 PM\nStatement\nFrom Governor Hochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual Assault Case | Governor Kathy Hochul\n| NewYork State\nContact\nthe Governor's\nPress Office\nof\nContact\nus by phone:\nAlbany:\n(518) 474-8418\nNewYork City:\n(212) 681-4640\nE Contact\nus by email:\nPress.Office@exec.ny.qov\nTranslations\nArabic\nTranslation\nBengali\nTranslation\nChinese\nTranslation\nFrench Translation\nTraduction\nen fran\u00e7ais\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-hochul-cornell-university-sexual-assault-case\n2/4\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n1\nAn official website of New York State\nNY.GOV\nGovernor Kathy Hochul\nPRESSROOM\nACCOMPLISHMENT\nS\nSCHEDULE\nEXECUTIVE\nORDERS\nLEGISLATION\nABOUT\nHIGHER EDUCATION\nCRIMINAL JUSTICE\nPUBLIC SAFETY\nMEDIA\nOctober 2, 2026\nAlbany, NY\nVideo, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript:\nGovernor Hochul and Attorney General\nJames Provide an Update on the Cornell\nSexual Assault Investigation\nGovernor Hochul: \u201cThis woman, this young woman, had already endured\nsomething that is utterly unspeakable and then at every turn, she was failed by\npeople and institutions with an obligation to protect her\u2026 That is why I'm invoking\nthe power conferred to me as the Governor of the State of New York to enlist\nAttorney General James as an independent special prosecutor in this case.\u201d\nHochul: \u201cThis case also exposed another problem we need to address \u2014 a gap in\nState law. If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter whether\nthey chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary Intoxication is not a license for\nsexual assault or gang rape, period. I support closing this loophole and will work\nwith the New York State Legislature to accomplish this.\u201d\nEarlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James provide an update on the\nCornell sexual assault investigation.\nVIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264,\nmp4).\nAUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.\nPHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr.\nA rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n2\nGood morning. Last night, I signed an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James as a\nspecial prosecutor in the sexual assault case at Cornell University. I want New Yorkers to understand\nwhat prompted that decision. Earlier this week, I called on Cornell to conduct an independent\ninvestigation led by outside counsel.\nI spoke directly to the University president who agreed to take those steps, but we learned yesterday\nraised even more troubling questions about what was done and not done after this young woman came\nforward. She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. And\naccording to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100% confident that she had\nbeen raped.\nYet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors.\nThe [District Attorney] then declined to pursue charges after reviewing that incomplete account and\nnever interviewing her.\nThink about that \u2014 in what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang\nraped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the District\nAttorney? In what world is the District Attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even\nrequest the full transcript?\nThis woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, and then at\nevery turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her. When the\nTompkins County District Attorney announced that he is reopening the case, he pointed to Jane Doe's\nstatement and said, \u201cIt did not establish that a crime had occurred.\u201d But new reporting raises serious\nquestions about the information his office relied upon when it made that decision.\nThat's why I believe this case demands a special prosecutor who will provide a fresh and thorough\nreview of all the facts, including the information that has recently come to light. And that is why I'm\ninvoking the power conferred to me as the Governor of the State of New York to enlist Attorney General\nJames as an independent special prosecutor in this case. She'll follow the facts, she'll examine the\nevidence and go wherever it leads. And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them.\nNo institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public\nofficial gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people. And as\nGovernor, I will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug.\nWe are ensuring that all the facts of this case are brought into the light. This case has also exposed\nanother problem we need to address \u2014 a gap in State law. If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it\nshould not matter whether they chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary intoxication is not a license for\nsexual assault or gang rape, period. I support closing this loophole and will work with the New York\nState Legislature to accomplish this.\nBut at the heart of all this is one young woman and what she deserved from the very beginning. Every\nparent who sends their child off to college expects them to be safe, and if something terrible happens,\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 6 ---\n3\nthe student deserves to know that the people they turn to will listen to them, protect them and fight for\nthem \u2014 that is the bare minimum.\nThis brave young woman deserved that in 2024, and she deserves it now. And I'm going to use every\npart of my power, do everything I possibly can, to make sure that she finally gets it.\nWith that, I'll turn it over to our Attorney General, Tish James.\nContact the Governor\u2019s Press Office\nContact us by phone:\nAlbany: (518) 474-8418\nNew York City: (212) 681-4640\nOfficial webpage:\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/video-audio-photos-rush-transcript-governor-hochul-and-attorney-general-james-provide-update\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026","text":"--- Page 1 ---\nExhibit 4 \n \n \nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n10/7/26,\n5:30 PM\nStatement\nFrom Governor Hochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual Assault Case | Governor Kathy Hochul\n| NewYork State\nAn official\nwebsite\nof NewYork State\nHere's\nhow you know v\n\u00acOVERNORKATHYHOCHUL\nStatement\n(/keyworcis/statement)\nSEPTEMBER\n29, 2026\nAlbany,\nNY\nStatement\nFrom Governor\nHochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual\nAssault\nCase\n\"The\nallegations\nin this\ncase are nothing\nshort\nof horrifying.\nFor any student\nto come forward\nafter\nan\nexperience\nlike\nthis\ntakes\nextraordinary\ncourage.\nNo student\nshould\never be left\nwondering whether\nthe\ninstitutions\nmeant to protect\nthem will\nlisten\nand act.\n\"I support\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney's\ndecision\nto reopen\nthe criminal\ninvestigation.\nBut there\nare also\nserious\nquestions\nabout\nCornell's\ncampus culture\nand\nits\nsystems\nfor\nprevention,\nreporting,\nand\nresponse.\nThat\nis why I amcalling\nfor\noutside\ncounsel\nto conduct\na transparent,\nindependent\nreview\nof the\nuniversity's\nresponse\nto determine\nwhether\nCornell\nmet every\nobligation\nto protect\nits\nstudents\nand pursue\njustice.\"\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-hochul-cornell-university-sexual-assault-case\n1/4\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n10/7/26,\n5:30 PM\nStatement\nFrom Governor Hochul on Cornell\nUniversity\nSexual Assault Case | Governor Kathy Hochul\n| NewYork State\nContact\nthe Governor's\nPress Office\nof\nContact\nus by phone:\nAlbany:\n(518) 474-8418\nNewYork City:\n(212) 681-4640\nE Contact\nus by email:\nPress.Office@exec.ny.qov\nTranslations\nArabic\nTranslation\nBengali\nTranslation\nChinese\nTranslation\nFrench Translation\nTraduction\nen fran\u00e7ais\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-hochul-cornell-university-sexual-assault-case\n2/4\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n1\nAn official website of New York State\nNY.GOV\nGovernor Kathy Hochul\nPRESSROOM\nACCOMPLISHMENT\nS\nSCHEDULE\nEXECUTIVE\nORDERS\nLEGISLATION\nABOUT\nHIGHER EDUCATION\nCRIMINAL JUSTICE\nPUBLIC SAFETY\nMEDIA\nOctober 2, 2026\nAlbany, NY\nVideo, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript:\nGovernor Hochul and Attorney General\nJames Provide an Update on the Cornell\nSexual Assault Investigation\nGovernor Hochul: \u201cThis woman, this young woman, had already endured\nsomething that is utterly unspeakable and then at every turn, she was failed by\npeople and institutions with an obligation to protect her\u2026 That is why I'm invoking\nthe power conferred to me as the Governor of the State of New York to enlist\nAttorney General James as an independent special prosecutor in this case.\u201d\nHochul: \u201cThis case also exposed another problem we need to address \u2014 a gap in\nState law. If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter whether\nthey chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary Intoxication is not a license for\nsexual assault or gang rape, period. I support closing this loophole and will work\nwith the New York State Legislature to accomplish this.\u201d\nEarlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James provide an update on the\nCornell sexual assault investigation.\nVIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264,\nmp4).\nAUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.\nPHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr.\nA rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n2\nGood morning. Last night, I signed an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James as a\nspecial prosecutor in the sexual assault case at Cornell University. I want New Yorkers to understand\nwhat prompted that decision. Earlier this week, I called on Cornell to conduct an independent\ninvestigation led by outside counsel.\nI spoke directly to the University president who agreed to take those steps, but we learned yesterday\nraised even more troubling questions about what was done and not done after this young woman came\nforward. She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. And\naccording to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100% confident that she had\nbeen raped.\nYet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors.\nThe [District Attorney] then declined to pursue charges after reviewing that incomplete account and\nnever interviewing her.\nThink about that \u2014 in what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang\nraped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the District\nAttorney? In what world is the District Attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even\nrequest the full transcript?\nThis woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, and then at\nevery turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her. When the\nTompkins County District Attorney announced that he is reopening the case, he pointed to Jane Doe's\nstatement and said, \u201cIt did not establish that a crime had occurred.\u201d But new reporting raises serious\nquestions about the information his office relied upon when it made that decision.\nThat's why I believe this case demands a special prosecutor who will provide a fresh and thorough\nreview of all the facts, including the information that has recently come to light. And that is why I'm\ninvoking the power conferred to me as the Governor of the State of New York to enlist Attorney General\nJames as an independent special prosecutor in this case. She'll follow the facts, she'll examine the\nevidence and go wherever it leads. And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them.\nNo institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public\nofficial gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people. And as\nGovernor, I will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug.\nWe are ensuring that all the facts of this case are brought into the light. This case has also exposed\nanother problem we need to address \u2014 a gap in State law. If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it\nshould not matter whether they chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary intoxication is not a license for\nsexual assault or gang rape, period. I support closing this loophole and will work with the New York\nState Legislature to accomplish this.\nBut at the heart of all this is one young woman and what she deserved from the very beginning. Every\nparent who sends their child off to college expects them to be safe, and if something terrible happens,\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 6 ---\n3\nthe student deserves to know that the people they turn to will listen to them, protect them and fight for\nthem \u2014 that is the bare minimum.\nThis brave young woman deserved that in 2024, and she deserves it now. And I'm going to use every\npart of my power, do everything I possibly can, to make sure that she finally gets it.\nWith that, I'll turn it over to our Attorney General, Tish James.\nContact the Governor\u2019s Press Office\nContact us by phone:\nAlbany: (518) 474-8418\nNew York City: (212) 681-4640\nOfficial webpage:\nhttps://www.governor.ny.gov/news/video-audio-photos-rush-transcript-governor-hochul-and-attorney-general-james-provide-update\nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 7\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026","thumbnailUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/447/thumb.webp","transcriptStatus":"not_applicable","transcriptText":"","url":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/447"}