Letitia James is bringing in outside counsel for the Cornell 7 probe nine days before her reelection vote

New York Attorney General Letitia James is moving to hire outside counsel for the Cornell 7 investigation as critics question her impartiality.

New York Attorney General Letitia James appears set to hand the Cornell 7 investigation to an outside lawyer, though her office disputes the reason critics have assigned to the decision.

The New York Post reported that her office has interviewed multiple former federal prosecutors for the role. The outlet named one candidate, a former Brooklyn federal prosecutor now practicing at a civil rights and criminal defense firm.

Spokesperson Alexis Richards pushed back directly on that reporting, saying she had not heard the name and that it should not be published.

Richards also contested the timeline, telling the Post the office began seeking outside counsel before anyone called for James to step aside.

Those calls followed a post James made on X on Sept. 28, three days before Gov. Kathy Hochul named her special prosecutor. She wrote that what the accuser endured was horrific and unacceptable, adding that she stood with survivors. Critics, including President Donald Trump, argued the statement compromised her ability to investigate impartially.

Not everyone reading it that way opposes her. Norman Siegel, the former New York Civil Liberties Union director, defended the outside counsel move while acknowledging the problem.

He compared the situation to a police commissioner commenting on misconduct before an investigation concludes, and stressed the importance of the word “alleged,” noting some observers have already convicted the men. James Quinn, formerly of the Queens District Attorney’s Office, went further, saying Hochul should not have made the appointment at all.

The financial question remains open. When James brought in outside prosecutors for the Cuomo harassment investigation in 2021, the state absorbed more than $3.5 million.

Saritha Komatireddy, the Republican challenging James on Nov. 3, said the decision proves she is unqualified. James campaign spokesperson Grace Smoker called it unconscionable to politicize a sensitive criminal matter.

Richards said the office’s Criminal Justice Division has already begun a comprehensive investigation and has spoken with the Tompkins County district attorney, who agreed to cooperate, along with the accuser’s attorney.

The seven men have denied any wrongdoing.