Governor Kathy Hochul’s October 2026 executive order removed Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten only from the Cornell University sexual assault investigation and assigned the matter to Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. The action stemmed from questions about the office’s earlier review of evidence but left Van Houten in his elected role, with no accompanying steps toward removal, suspension, or resignation. County records continue to list him as the sitting district attorney, and no legislative, judicial, or local proceedings have advanced to alter that status. Absent any scheduled vote, recall effort, or public commitment to step down before the end of November, trader pricing reflects the limited reach of the governor’s intervention and the absence of additional catalysts that would normally precede an office vacancy.