{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","altText":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-appoints-veteran-prosecutor-outside-counsel-cornell","alternateName":"Jacqueline_Kelly_PRESS_RElEASE.jpeg","alternativeHeadline":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-appoints-veteran-prosecutor-outside-counsel-cornell","caption":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-appoints-veteran-prosecutor-outside-counsel-cornell","contentUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/745/raw","datePublished":"2026-11-04T21:29:06+00:00","description":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-appoints-veteran-prosecutor-outside-counsel-cornell","encodingFormat":"image/jpeg","identifier":"745","isAccessibleForFree":true,"machineReadable":{"json":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/745/index.json","markdown":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/745/index.md"},"name":"Jacqueline_Kelly_PRESS_RElEASE","ocrStatus":"ready","ocrText":"Office of the New York Attorney General Translate Accessibility\nww XORK sy,\nY 4 20\ny \u00ae Letitia James cae\nta 4 A >\nMere a How canwe help you\n* Bee a * New York Attorney General\neee IWant To... .\n%. AJ About | Resources | Libraries &Documents | News &Media | ContactUs\n% \\3 ese\n-) >\n\u2018RNey GE\nHome | Press Releases | Attorney General James Appoints Veteran Prosecutor As Outside Counsel In Cornell University Investigation\nAttorney General James Appoints Veteran Prosecutor as Outside Counsel in\nCornell University Investigation\nFormer SDNY Criminal Division Civil Rights Unit Chief Jacqueline Kelly Will Lead Team of Attorneys and Staff from OAG and Boies Schiller\nFlexner\nNovember 4, 2026\nNEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the appointment of former Civil\nRights Unit Chief for the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York\nJacqueline Kelly as outside counsel to lead a fair and comprehensive criminal investigation into an alleged\nsexual assault on Cornell University\u2019s campus in October 2024. Kelly is an alumna of Cornell University and\nColumbia Law School, and currently serves as partner at international law firm Boies Schiller Flexner. Kelly\nwill lead an investigative team of attorneys and staff from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and\nBoies Schiller Flexner.\n\u201cThe Office of the Attorney General is committed to a thorough investigation guided only by the facts, the\nevidence, and the law,\u201d said Attorney General James. \u201cJacqueline Kelly is a seasoned prosecutor who has\n\u2018overseen numerous cases from investigation through trial. With her criminal legal expertise, commitment\nto public service, and judicial experience, lam confident that she will lead a fair and comprehensive\ninvestigation.\u201d\n\u201cI thank Attorney General James for entrusting me to lead this investigation with her office,\u201d said Jacqueline\nKelly. \u201cAll New Yorkers deserve a fair and thorough inquiry into the facts of this case. | look forward to\nlending my years of experience as a federal prosecutor to the Office of the Attorney General as we examine\nall available evidence.\u201d\nOn October I, 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 64, appointing OAG as a special\nprosecutor to \u201cinvestigate the conduct of, and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury against and\nprosecute offenses arising out of the allegations of a sexual assault described in the complaint in Jane Doe v.\nCornell University.\u201d The same day, OAG began a search for potential outside counsel to lead the\ninvestigation, as permitted by the Executive Order.\nKelly and her team have been charged with conducting a thorough investigation, including, but not limited\nto, gathering and analyzing evidence; reviewing previous investigative records and reports; conducting\nwitness interviews; and analyzing the facts and applicable law. Kelly and her team will report to OAG.\nAbout Jacqueline Kelly\nKelly joined Boies Schiller Flexner as Partner in 2025, where she focuses on high-profile regulatory and\ncriminal investigations, and represents victims of sexual assault and other crimes. Prior to entering private\npractice, Kelly served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New\nYork. As the inaugural chief of the Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division, Kelly oversaw investigations and\nprosecutions of civil rights offenses including official misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, hate\ncrimes, and voting rights violations. Before working as a federal prosecutor, Kelly clerked for the Hon.\nRonnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Hon. Kevin McNulty of\nthe U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia\nLaw School.\nLetitia James\nNew York Attorney General\n(RR, Contact Statewide Offices\n: . Office of the New York Attorney General\nq ): The Capitol Press Releases\nSeven cel\nAlbany NY 12224-0341 File a Complaint\nXVOHS Phone: 1-800-771-7755 ;\nDeaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-788-9898. Employment Opportunities\nCopyright \u00a92026 \u2014Omtice ofthe New York Attorney General. ll Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Accessibilty Policy\nTranslation Services This page is available in other languages\nEnglish au ysl ae C4 Frangais Kreyol Ayisyen Italiano gto} Polski Pyccknit Espanol 923! woe\n","text":"Office of the New York Attorney General Translate Accessibility\nww XORK sy,\nY 4 20\ny \u00ae Letitia James cae\nta 4 A >\nMere a How canwe help you\n* Bee a * New York Attorney General\neee IWant To... .\n%. AJ About | Resources | Libraries &Documents | News &Media | ContactUs\n% \\3 ese\n-) >\n\u2018RNey GE\nHome | Press Releases | Attorney General James Appoints Veteran Prosecutor As Outside Counsel In Cornell University Investigation\nAttorney General James Appoints Veteran Prosecutor as Outside Counsel in\nCornell University Investigation\nFormer SDNY Criminal Division Civil Rights Unit Chief Jacqueline Kelly Will Lead Team of Attorneys and Staff from OAG and Boies Schiller\nFlexner\nNovember 4, 2026\nNEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the appointment of former Civil\nRights Unit Chief for the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York\nJacqueline Kelly as outside counsel to lead a fair and comprehensive criminal investigation into an alleged\nsexual assault on Cornell University\u2019s campus in October 2024. Kelly is an alumna of Cornell University and\nColumbia Law School, and currently serves as partner at international law firm Boies Schiller Flexner. Kelly\nwill lead an investigative team of attorneys and staff from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and\nBoies Schiller Flexner.\n\u201cThe Office of the Attorney General is committed to a thorough investigation guided only by the facts, the\nevidence, and the law,\u201d said Attorney General James. \u201cJacqueline Kelly is a seasoned prosecutor who has\n\u2018overseen numerous cases from investigation through trial. With her criminal legal expertise, commitment\nto public service, and judicial experience, lam confident that she will lead a fair and comprehensive\ninvestigation.\u201d\n\u201cI thank Attorney General James for entrusting me to lead this investigation with her office,\u201d said Jacqueline\nKelly. \u201cAll New Yorkers deserve a fair and thorough inquiry into the facts of this case. | look forward to\nlending my years of experience as a federal prosecutor to the Office of the Attorney General as we examine\nall available evidence.\u201d\nOn October I, 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 64, appointing OAG as a special\nprosecutor to \u201cinvestigate the conduct of, and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury against and\nprosecute offenses arising out of the allegations of a sexual assault described in the complaint in Jane Doe v.\nCornell University.\u201d The same day, OAG began a search for potential outside counsel to lead the\ninvestigation, as permitted by the Executive Order.\nKelly and her team have been charged with conducting a thorough investigation, including, but not limited\nto, gathering and analyzing evidence; reviewing previous investigative records and reports; conducting\nwitness interviews; and analyzing the facts and applicable law. Kelly and her team will report to OAG.\nAbout Jacqueline Kelly\nKelly joined Boies Schiller Flexner as Partner in 2025, where she focuses on high-profile regulatory and\ncriminal investigations, and represents victims of sexual assault and other crimes. Prior to entering private\npractice, Kelly served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New\nYork. As the inaugural chief of the Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division, Kelly oversaw investigations and\nprosecutions of civil rights offenses including official misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, hate\ncrimes, and voting rights violations. Before working as a federal prosecutor, Kelly clerked for the Hon.\nRonnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Hon. Kevin McNulty of\nthe U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia\nLaw School.\nLetitia James\nNew York Attorney General\n(RR, Contact Statewide Offices\n: . Office of the New York Attorney General\nq ): The Capitol Press Releases\nSeven cel\nAlbany NY 12224-0341 File a Complaint\nXVOHS Phone: 1-800-771-7755 ;\nDeaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-788-9898. Employment Opportunities\nCopyright \u00a92026 \u2014Omtice ofthe New York Attorney General. ll Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Accessibilty Policy\nTranslation Services This page is available in other languages\nEnglish au ysl ae C4 Frangais Kreyol Ayisyen Italiano gto} Polski Pyccknit Espanol 923! woe\n","thumbnailUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/745/raw","transcriptStatus":"not_applicable","transcriptText":"","url":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/745"}