Gov Hochul's cameo in Cornell sex-assault documentary casts ‘air of impropriety’ over investigation: attorney
Amid the renewed investigation into seven men accused of sexually assaulting a woman at Cornell, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has drawn backlash for appearing in a Netflix documentary about the case and commenting on the allegations.
None of the seven men have been criminally charged. Hochul signed an executive order in October assigning New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the case.
In the newly released documentary titled "Instadocs: Jane Doe v. Cornell," Hochul appears around 13 minutes into the film, expressing her own reaction to news surrounding the case.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James attend a press conference regarding an investigation into alleged sexual assault at Cornell University, in New York City, US, October 2, 2026. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
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Speaking to an interviewer, she said, "My first reaction was how disgusting, not again. You feel like, not again."
She also reflected on her past experience from when she was an undergrad at Syracuse University in the late '70s.
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"There were a series of rapes our first week on campus and there was a sense of anxiety all around," Hochul said.
The fraternity house at the center of a rape allegation stands on the campus of Cornell University on Oct. 8, 2026, in Ithaca, New York. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
She condemned what she called a "culture" that "has never changed."
"The number of people involved and the repugnancy of her allegations would’ve drawn you to local police department fairly quickly," she said.
Jane Doe's allegations gained the national spotlight when she filed a civil lawsuit naming the seven Cornell Chi Phi fraternity brothers, the university, her own sorority and others – claiming she was drugged and gang raped inside a frat house in 2024.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James during a news conference in New York on Oct. 2, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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She filed the suit nearly two years after she initially reported her allegations to local law enforcement – to which Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said, "multiple prosecutors and criminal investigators reviewed Jane Doe’s statement and correctly determined the alleged facts as set forth in the statement do not constitute a crime."
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In the Netflix interview, Hochul addressed concerns about law enforcement's handling of the allegations.
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Students protest on Ho Plaza at Cornell University, Monday, October 5, 2026, in Ithaca, NY, in response to a protest over an alleged sexual assault in 2024, involving some members of the Chi Phi fraternity. (Richard Beetham for Fox News Digital)
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She said, "In a situation like this, you want to make sure that people believe in the process."
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Fox News contributor Donna Rotunno, a criminal defense attorney and host of the "Crime and Justice with Donna Rotunno" podcast, criticized Hochul for her appearance on the documentary, warning that her remarks exacerbate existing concerns over the prosecution's fairness.
Rotunno said, "The governor can say anything she wants about anything. The question is, should she?"
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"The problem you have here is there has already been the air of impropriety," she went on to say.
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Rotunno also said the timing of Hochul's concern about the case is "suspect" and questions why the governor stepped in to intervene on the case – two years later.
"If she was so in tune as to what was happening in Ithaca or elsewhere in the state of New York, this is probably something that should have been on her radar."
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When asked by Fox News Digital about why she made the decision to appear in the documentary, a spokesperson for Hochul told Fox News Digital: "Governors routinely speak to news and media organizations about matters of significant public interest."
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