ITHACA, NY—After being removed from the reopened Chi Phi case, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to redouble his efforts dismissing cases brought by other complainants.
“The last thing I would want is for my involvement in this very public case to distract me from the hundreds of other Tompkins County residents whose pleas for justice I could be denying,” Van Houten said in an interview with CNN.
The DA also defended his original decision to close the case in 2024 given the evidence provided by the Cornell University Police Department. “Remember, it is the police’s job to investigate crimes,” explained Van Houten, “and the DA’s job not to prosecute them.”
Later in the interview, Van Houten voiced his support for Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to appoint New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. “I trust AG James to make a holistic, informed decision on whether to file criminal charges,” said Van Houten, reiterating his thankfulness that such rigorous standards are not usually expected of the District Attorney.
At press time, Van Houten said he was looking forward to getting back in the office, where a growing pile of reported felonies needed his help to be reduced to misdemeanors.
