2026年10月10日 美国东部时间12:22 / 福克斯新闻频道
本次审查将调查该校对2024年一宗校外兄弟会涉嫌轮奸案的应对措施
作者：伊莱恩·马伦 福克斯新闻
法律专家解析萨莉·耶茨在康奈尔性侵案审查中可查明的细节
律师斯科特·艾斯曼详解了萨莉·耶茨可在康奈尔性侵案审查中 uncover 的信息，包括检方从未完整获取的一份关键警方讯问笔录。
【新功能】您现在可以收听福克斯新闻的文章播报！
康奈尔大学已聘请萨莉·耶茨牵头对这所常春藤盟校处理性侵犯指控的情况开展独立审查。耶茨曾是奥巴马政府时期的副司法部长，在唐纳德·特朗普总统第一任期内被其解雇。
耶茨的任命正值康奈尔因应对2024年10月一宗兄弟会会所涉嫌轮奸案面临审查。作为独立审查的一部分，耶茨及其所在的金&斯伯丁律师事务所将有权查阅康奈尔的内部文件，包括案件档案、希腊字母组织的监管记录、与执法部门的沟通记录以及纪律听证记录。
耶茨为康奈尔的审查工作带来了数十年的司法部工作经验，以及她与特朗普对峙后因参与“通俄”调查而获得的公众关注度。
萨莉·耶茨的职业生涯与和特朗普的冲突
巴拉克·奥巴马总统于2015年1月提名耶茨出任副司法部长，参议院在四个月后以84票赞成、12票反对的投票结果确认了这一任命。她此前曾担任佐治亚北区联邦检察官，这一职位是奥巴马在2010年任命的。
【重磅】康奈尔大学校长称校方“必须在处理性侵犯指控方面做得更好”
前副司法部长萨莉·耶茨（右）正在审查康奈尔大学处理其Chi Phi兄弟会成员相关性侵犯指控的情况，该兄弟会会所如图左侧所示。（瑞安·墨菲/盖蒂图片社；奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂图片社）
在总统权力交接期间，特朗普的过渡团队要求耶茨留任代理司法部长，直至其提名的杰夫·塞申斯获得参议院确认。但她的任期仅持续了10天。
2017年1月30日，特朗普解雇了耶茨，原因是她指示司法部律师不要为他限制来自七个多数为穆斯林国家的旅行和难民入境的行政令辩护。
白宫在宣布解雇她的声明中称：“代理司法部长萨莉·耶茨拒绝执行一项旨在保护美国公民的合法行政令，这背叛了司法部。”
耶茨坚称，她不相信该指令符合法律规定。
“我的职责是确保司法部的立场不仅在法律上站得住脚，而且是在全面考虑所有事实后基于我们对法律的最佳理解制定的，”耶茨在一封信中说道。“此外，我有责任确保我们在法庭上采取的立场与本机构庄严的义务保持一致，即始终寻求正义并坚持正确的事情。”
2017年5月，耶茨再次成为全国焦点，她在参议院司法小组委员会就俄罗斯干预2016年总统选举的调查中作证。她的证词详细说明了她在被解雇前不久曾警告白宫法律顾问唐·麦克加恩，关于特朗普当时的国家安全顾问迈克尔·弗林的情况。
【重磅】康奈尔性侵指控促使纽约州总检察长莉蒂夏·詹姆斯启动“积极刑事调查”
纽约，纽约州——2018年4月13日：萨莉·耶茨在2018年4月13日于纽约市林肯中心举行的2018年女性全球峰会上发表演讲。（摄影：尼古拉斯·亨特/盖蒂图片社）
弗林曾在2016年12月与俄罗斯大使谢尔盖·基斯利亚克讨论奥巴马政府对俄罗斯的制裁，尽管当时的副总统候选人迈克·彭斯公开否认曾讨论过制裁问题。
在审查联邦调查局的情报后，耶茨警告麦克加恩，弗林曾误导政府官员，且由于莫斯科知晓实际讨论的内容，弗林可能会面临俄罗斯的敲诈勒索。
弗林于2017年2月辞职，距离耶茨首次发出警告仅18天。后来，他就其与基斯利亚克的对话向联邦调查局作出虚假陈述而认罪。
在与特朗普对峙之前，耶茨在司法部工作了27年，负责起诉白领欺诈和公共腐败案件。她还担任了奥林匹克公园炸弹案嫌疑人埃里克·鲁道夫案的首席检察官，当时的司法部长埃里克·霍尔德在奥巴马提名耶茨出任副司法部长时曾提及这一公诉经历。
耶茨于2018年5月重返金&斯伯丁律师事务所担任合伙人，后来牵头对美国国家女子足球联赛中的性不当行为和虐待行为开展独立调查。
该调查由美国足球联合会于2021年10月委托进行，涵盖了200多次访谈，揭露了广泛的言语和情感虐待、性不当行为，以及球队和联赛官员多次未能处理投诉的情况。
2022年10月公布的调查结果显示，尽管收到过此前的投诉，但被指控有不当行为的教练仍继续执教。耶茨的报告建议加强背景调查、明确举报程序，并加强球队和联赛官员的问责制。
康奈尔大学的相关调查
康奈尔大学表示，之所以选择耶茨及其律所，是因为“他们在高等教育领域的专业知识以及为董事会和机构开展独立调查的丰富经验”。
纽约州州长凯西·霍楚尔和纽约州总检察长莉蒂夏·詹姆斯出席2026年10月2日在纽约市举行的关于调查康奈尔大学涉嫌性侵犯事件的新闻发布会。（路透社/珍妮·穆恩）
【深度解析】爆炸性康奈尔性侵指控：7名男子被指控、相互矛盾的说法与一场政治风暴
耶茨参与此案让另一位著名的特朗普对手卷入这场争议，此前几天，曾对特朗普提起民事欺诈诉讼并遭到特朗普呼吁对其进行起诉的纽约州总检察长莉蒂夏·詹姆斯，被任命监督另一项州级调查。
康奈尔此前已对这起涉嫌袭击事件展开调查，并对几名被指控涉案的学生处以停学和开除处分。一名据称受害者对该校提起的诉讼再次让这起案件受到全国关注，也引发了人们对校方应对措施的质疑。
两项调查的授权范围不同。詹姆斯的调查将聚焦引发争议的核心案件，而耶茨的审查将评估康奈尔更广泛的政策以及校方处理性侵犯和约会暴力指控的情况。
“作为这一更广泛授权的一部分，耶茨及其团队将详细审查校方对2024年10月涉及‘简· Doe’和Chi Phi兄弟会成员的指控的应对措施，包括康奈尔是否遵循了其政策和程序来处理此事，”校方在一份声明中说道。
【点击此处下载福克斯新闻应用】
福克斯新闻数字频道已联系耶茨寻求置评。
伊莱恩·马伦是福克斯新闻数字频道和福克斯商业频道的记者，报道全国政治议题。
Who is Sally Yates? Cornell rape-review pick was fired by Trump after refusing to defend travel ban
October 10, 2026 12:22pm EDT / Fox News
The review will examine the university’s response to an alleged gang rape at an off-campus fraternity in 2024
By Elaine Mallon, Fox News
Legal expert explains what Sally Yates could uncover in Cornell rape case review
Attorney Scott Iseman examines what Sally Yates could uncover in Cornell’s rape case review, including a key police interview prosecutors never received in full.
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Cornell University has tapped Sally Yates, a former Obama administration deputy attorney general fired by President Donald Trump during his first term, to lead an independent review of the Ivy League school’s handling of 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 her employer, King & Spalding, will have access to Cornell’s internal documents, including case files, oversight records for Greek organizations, communications with law enforcement and disciplinary hearing records.
Yates brings decades of Justice Department experience to Cornell’s review, along with a public profile shaped by her confrontation with Trump and subsequent involvement in the Russia investigation.
Sally Yates’ career and clashes with Trump
President Barack Obama nominated Yates as deputy attorney general in January 2015, and the Senate confirmed her four months later in an 84-12 vote. She previously served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, a position Obama appointed her to in 2010.
CORNELL PRESIDENT SAYS UNIVERSITY ‘MUST DO BETTER’ ON HANDLING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates (right) is reviewing Cornell University’s handling of 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, Trump’s incoming administration asked Yates to remain as acting attorney general while his nominee, Jeff Sessions, awaited Senate confirmation. But her tenure lasted just 10 days.
Trump fired Yates on Jan. 30, 2017, after she instructed Justice Department lawyers not to defend his executive order restricting travel and refugee admissions from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
“The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States,” the White House said in a statement announcing her firing.
Yates maintained that she was not convinced the directive was lawful.
“My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice 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. “In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand 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 had given White House Counsel Don McGahn about Trump’s then-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, shortly before her dismissal.
CORNELL RAPE ALLEGATIONS PROMPT NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES TO OPEN ‘ACTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION’
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 13: Sally Yates speaks on stage at the 2018 Women In The World Summit at Lincoln Center on April 13, 2018 in New York City.(Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
Flynn had discussed Obama administration sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016, despite then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence publicly denying that sanctions were discussed.
After reviewing FBI intelligence, Yates warned McGahn that Flynn had misled administration officials and could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail because Moscow knew what had actually been discussed.
Flynn resigned in February 2017, 18 days after Yates’ initial warning. He later pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak.
Before her confrontation with Trump, Yates spent 27 years at the Justice Department, prosecuting white-collar fraud and public corruption cases. She also served as lead prosecutor in the case against Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph, a prosecution then-Attorney General Eric Holder highlighted when Obama selected her as deputy attorney general.
Yates returned to King & Spalding as a partner in May 2018, later leading an independent investigation into sexual misconduct and abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation in October 2021, the investigation included more than 200 interviews and uncovered widespread verbal and emotional abuse, sexual misconduct and repeated failures by teams and league officials to address complaints.
The findings, released in October 2022, documented how coaches accused of misconduct continued working despite previous complaints. Yates’ report recommended stronger background checks, clearer reporting procedures and greater accountability for teams and league officials.
Cornell University investigations
Cornell said it selected Yates and her firm because of “their expertise in higher education and extensive experience conducting independent investigations for boards and institutions.”
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)
INSIDE EXPLOSIVE CORNELL RAPE ALLEGATIONS: 7 MEN ACCUSED, CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS AND A POLITICAL FIRESTORM
Yates’ involvement in the case brings another prominent Trump adversary into the controversy, days after New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously brought a civil fraud case against Trump and has faced his calls for her prosecution, was appointed to oversee a separate state investigation.
Cornell 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 assess Cornell’s broader policies and handling of sexual assault and dating violence allegations.
“As part of that broader mandate, Yates and her team will conduct a detailed review of the university’s response to the 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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital reached out to Yates for comment.
Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.
发表回复