Cornell defendant fighting Letitia James appointment as special prosecutor

One of the men accused in the Cornell University gang rape lawsuit is fighting the appointment of New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor on the case, pointing to concerns of bias.

Gillio Lopes, one of the seven men named by Jane Doe’s lawsuit , argues comments James made in a Facebook post in support of his anonymous accuser disqualify her from leading the case.

“What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you,” James posted three days before New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appointed her to the case.

The petition, filed Wednesday, says James has “unequivocally demonstrated a bias and presumption of guilt against the defendants.”

In the press conference announcing her appointment, James refused to comment on the post.

“As Governor Hochul has said, the public needs confidence in the individual leading this investigation. AG James, based upon her very public statements validating Jane Doe, certainly doesn’t instill confidence in a fair investigation,” said Stuart Bernstein, a partner at Nesenoff & Miltenberg representing Lopes.

The Hill has reached out to James office for comment.

Jane Doe said she was coerced into drugs and alcohol and accused seven men of raping her in 2024 when she was visiting the Chi Phi fraternity .

Hochul tapped James after saying she lacked confidence in the school and local district attorney to handle the allegations properly.

When asked about the Facebook post, Hochul said she had “every confidence” in James to investigate and treat the case fairly.