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Cornell University has tapped Sally Yates, a former deputy attorney general in the Obama administration fired by President Donald Trump during his first term, to lead an independent review of how the Ivy League school handled sexual assault allegations.
Yates’ appointment comes as Cornell faces scrutiny over its response to an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in October 2024.
As part of the independent review, Yates and his employer, King & Spalding, will have access to internal Cornell documents, including records, monitoring records of Greek organizations, communications with law enforcement and records of disciplinary hearings.
Yates brings to Cornell’s consideration decades of experience at the Justice Department, as well as a public profile shaped by his confrontation with Trump and his subsequent involvement in the Russia investigation.
Sally Yates’ career and clashes with Trump
President Barack Obama nominated Yates to serve as deputy attorney general in January 2015, and the Senate confirmed her four months later by a vote of 84 to 12. She previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, a position to which Obama nominated her in 2010.
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Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates (right) examines how Cornell University handled sexual assault allegations involving members of its Chi Phi fraternity, whose house is pictured at left. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
During the presidential transition, the new Trump administration asked Yates to remain acting attorney general while its nominee, Jeff Sessions, awaited Senate confirmation. But his term lasted only 10 days.
Trump fired Yates on January 30, 2017, after she asked Justice Department lawyers not to defend his executive order restricting travel and admission of refugees from seven majority-Muslim countries.
“Acting Attorney General Sally Yates betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order intended to protect the citizens of the United States,” the White House said in a statement announcing her firing.
Yates maintained she was not convinced the directive was legal.
“My responsibility is to ensure that the Department of Justice’s position is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts,” Yates said in a letter.
“Furthermore, I have a responsibility to ensure that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand up for what is right.”
Yates returned to the national spotlight in May 2017, testifying before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Her testimony detailed warnings she gave White House counsel Don McGahn about Trump’s then-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, shortly before his firing.
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Sally Yates speaks on stage during the 2018 Global Women’s Summit at Lincoln Center on April 13, 2018 in New York. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
Flynn had discussed the Obama administration’s sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016, although Vice President-elect Mike Pence publicly denied that sanctions were discussed at the time.
After reviewing FBI intelligence, Yates warned McGahn that Flynn had misled administration officials and might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail because Moscow knew what had actually been discussed.
Flynn resigned in February 2017, 18 days after Yates’ first warning. He later pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak.
Before his confrontation with Trump, Yates spent 27 years at the Justice Department, prosecuting cases of white-collar fraud and public corruption. She also served as lead prosecutor in the case against Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph, a then-Attorney General Eric Holder highlighted when Obama tapped her to be deputy attorney general.
Yates returned to King & Spalding as an associate in May 2018, later leading an independent investigation into sexual misconduct and abuse within the National Women’s Soccer League.
Commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation in October 2021, the investigation involved more than 200 interviews and found widespread verbal and emotional abuse, sexual misconduct and repeated failures by teams and league officials to respond to complaints.
The findings, released in October 2022, documented how coaches accused of misconduct continued to work despite previous complaints. Yates’ report recommended stricter background checks, clearer reporting procedures and greater accountability for teams and league officials.
Cornell University Investigations
Cornell said it chose Yates and his firm because of “their expertise in higher education and extensive experience conducting independent investigations on behalf of boards and institutions.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James attend a press conference regarding an investigation into sexual assault allegations at Cornell University in New York on October 2, 2026. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
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Yates’ involvement in the case brings another high-profile Trump adversary into the controversy, days after New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously filed a civil fraud case against Trump and faced his calls for her prosecution, was named to oversee a separate state investigation.
Cornell had previously investigated the alleged assault and imposed suspensions and expulsions on several students accused of involvement. A lawsuit filed against the university by the alleged victim has since brought renewed national attention to the case and raised questions about the school’s response.
The two investigations have separate mandates. James’ investigation will examine the case at the center of the controversy, while Yates’ review will evaluate Cornell’s broader policies and handling of allegations of sexual assault and dating violence.
“As part of this broader mandate, Yates and his team will conduct a detailed review of the university’s response to allegations involving Jane Doe and members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024, including whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures in responding to the matter,” the school said in a statement.
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Fox News Digital has contacted Yates for comment.
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