Governor Kathy Hochul’s October 2026 executive order removed Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten solely from a high-profile Cornell University sexual assault prosecution, citing lost confidence in his prior handling of the 2024 investigation, and assigned New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. Van Houten remains in office, continues to manage his department’s caseload, and has stated he will cooperate with the new prosecutor. No recall petition, resignation announcement, legislative action, or election timeline has emerged that would force his departure before the November 30 market resolution date. Traders therefore assign a 93 percent implied probability that he will still hold the position after that deadline, reflecting the narrow scope of the governor’s intervention and the absence of further institutional pressure.