Watchdog files ethics complaint urging Letitia James to step aside from Cornell 7 case

New York Attorney General Letitia James now faces a formal ethics complaint tied to the Cornell 7 case. The filing asks her to remove herself because of a post she wrote in support of the woman known as Jane Doe.

Who filed it

A conservative watchdog called the National Legal and Policy Center lodged the complaint this week. The organization keeps tabs on the conduct of public officials from its base in Washington, D.C.

The group argues James revealed a bias before she was appointed special prosecutor on the case.

The post at issue

On Sept. 28 James wrote on X that what the young woman had gone through was "horrific and unacceptable." She also told survivors they were not alone.

The watchdog says James should step aside to protect the fairness of any investigation or prosecution. It also claims the post breaks New York's professional conduct rules for lawyers.

James responds

James answered the complaint on Thursday. She said she was only expressing empathy for the woman. She called that a quality the country needs more of right now.

Defendants want her out too

Jane Doe has accused several men in a lawsuit. Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes, two of the accused, have already filed papers seeking her removal. None of the allegations have been proven.