The attorney for Jane Doe in the Cornell Seven case has now become the subject of accusations himself, as the defense goes on the offensive.
Teny Geragos has fired back at attorney Thomas Giuffra over his accusations involving alleged media leaks, giving him until Friday to correct the record or face potential legal action. Her demand comes as attorneys for defendant Diego Sarabia accuse Giuffra of waging his own media campaign while criticizing the defense for speaking publicly.
The attorney for the young woman accusing the “Cornell Seven” of sexual assault has officially taken aim at the defense in a wordy new filing Wednesday night, accusing lawyers of leaking confidential evidence to the press while trying to silence him.
In a 12-page court filing Wednesday, attorney Thomas Giuffra accused lawyers representing the young men of selectively releasing private Title IX investigation records to news outlets in an effort to discredit his client, identified in court documents as Jane Doe. Given that the initial leaks appeared to “favor” Jane Doe through recorded phone calls, and equally selective portions of interviews or Title IX documents, the filing is particularly interesting.
Giuffra also took aim at TMZ and high-profile defense attorney and Los Angeles Magazine co-owner, Mark Geragos. Giuffra suggested the media coverage surrounding the case bears striking similarities to the publicity surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs. The filing comes in response to a request by defendant Diego Sarabia for a court order restricting what attorneys and parties can publicly say about the case. Giuffra argues the defense is trying to have it both ways.
But the defense wasted little time firing back. In a three-page response filed Thursday, attorneys for Diego Sarabia flatly denied leaking documents or making statements to the media. They also accused Giuffra of conducting his own publicity campaign, pointing to interviews in which Cornell Daily Sun journalists acknowledged communicating with Doe and her attorneys before the lawsuit was filed. The lawyers took issue with Giuffra’s references to Sean “Diddy” Combs, noting that he mentioned the rapper 11 times in his filing. They said his accusations against Mark and Teny Geragos were based on speculation, not evidence. They also argued that the case should be handled in court, not through TV interviews, podcasts and social media.
Meanwhile, Teny Geragos was not about to let the accusations slide. In a blistering email sent Thursday morning and then later filed with the court, the criminal defense attorney accused Giuffra of attacking her professional integrity without a shred of evidence. “I have never leaked any information, and your suggestion otherwise is categorically false,” she wrote. Geragos demanded that Giuffra file a public retraction by Friday, October 16, warning that she would pursue appropriate legal relief if he refused. She also directed him to preserve communications, research and other materials related to his allegations against her and her family. Giuffra’s associate, Ethan Cohen, responded that his boss was out of town and would reply that evening.
He claims defense attorneys have been feeding confidential information to selected media outlets while simultaneously asking a judge to prevent him from responding publicly. Giuffra wrote that he is certain the leaked Title IX records did not come from Doe or anyone representing her.
He offered to privately provide the judge with emails and text messages showing that he rejected requests from reporters seeking the confidential records. According to Giuffra, the materials were subject to a confidentiality agreement reached during Cornell’s internal investigation into the alleged October 2024 sexual assault. He claims the records were selectively released to suggest that Doe consented to the sexual encounters, which they are disputing through their civil suit.
The attorney also listed the limited materials he says he personally provided to reporters a portion of the group Snapchat referenced in the lawsuit, threats directed at Doe and himself, and police reports involving swatting incidents and threats at Doe’s family home.
Giuffra then focused heavily on TMZ and Geragos, who co-hosts the outlet’s “2 Angry Men” podcast with Harvey Levin.
Geragos’ daughter, attorney Teny Geragos, represents Cornell defendant Winston Lee in the related criminal investigation. Geragos, who was recently hired in the last two weeks by Lee, does not work for her father’s firm, but for Agnifilo-Intrater.
Teny Geragos told Los Angeles, “To the extent Mr. Giuffra is implying I’m leaking anything, that is false. But, the facts will come out and they will show my client did not assault or harm this person.”
Giuffra suggested that the relationship between Geragos and TMZ has helped shape public coverage of the case in favor of the defense. He accused TMZ of repeatedly highlighting text messages Doe exchanged with some of the accused men following the alleged assault, arguing that coverage was meant to undermine her credibility.
Giuffra also drew comparisons to the federal criminal case against Combs, whose defense team included Teny Geragos.
Giuffra, who previously filed civil lawsuits against Combs, recalled appearing on NewsNation’s “Cuomo” in December 2024, when Mark Geragos appeared as a counterpoint to his allegations. He claimed Geragos played an influential role in Combs’ public defense despite not formally serving as a member of his trial team. Geragos is, after all, a defense attorney who frequently offers a defense perspective when weighing in on high-profile criminal cases in the media.
Los Angeles previously reported Giuffra’s appearance on national television. While appearing on NewsNation’s CUOMO, he made accusations of Cornell participating in a “cover-up,” while mentioning names in the media like Megyn Kelly, stating, “I mean, culminating with Megyn Kelly, who is saying that she was ugly and she’s lucky and she liked the attention of all these boys. It’s disgusting.”
In his preservation, he also singled out defense attorneys Jeremy Saland, Andrew Miltenberg and Tara Davis for publicly discussing evidence, witness statements and Doe’s credibility. Saland previously described the lawsuit as a “money grab,” while Miltenberg discussed leaked text messages during appearances on CBS News and NewsNation. Davis appeared on Megyn Kelly’s show to discuss what she described as revelations about Doe’s changing account.
Giuffra argues that these public appearances contradict the defense’s complaints about his own media interviews; while the main legal argument centers on Sarabia’s request for restrictions on public statements. Giuffra argues that the proposed order is too vague and would unfairly prevent him from defending his client against accusations circulating online.
He maintains that his interviews have essentially been in response to leaked evidence, threats against Doe and criticism of her allegations. Giuffra also denies claims that he organized a publicity campaign before filing the lawsuit in September. He says he was overseas when the allegations first appeared in the press and that he did not hire a public relations firm.
The filing also dives into details regarding the threats Doe and her family have faced since the lawsuit became public. Giuffra says Doe received violent threats, including a phone call threatening to kill members of her family. He claims a swatting incident at her family’s home resulted in police drawing weapons on her father, brother and friends. He also detailed threats against his own wife, prompting him to hire armed security for his home.
Several of the Cornell Seven defendants have also been harassed, filmed, or fired from their jobs since Doe’s lawsuit publicly named them.
Giuffra also conceded that his legal team mistakenly identified an unrelated man as one of the defendants in the lawsuit. The man shared the same name as a defendant, leading Giuffra’s team to include the wrong address in the court filing. As a result, the innocent former Marine and his family were subjected to stalking and threats. Giuffra said his team promptly notified the court of the error and corrected it. Judge Phaedra F. Perry-Bond then ordered the original complaint and related filings sealed, following this separate “address” controversy.
The criminal investigation into the alleged assault, initially declined by the Tompkins County district attorney, has since been reopened, with New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed as special prosecutor. Again, Giuffra is now asking Perry-Bond to reject Sarabia’s proposed restrictions, arguing they would prevent him from responding to damaging publicity while allowing the defense to continue making its case through outside voices.
The judge has not yet ruled on the request.
The post Leaks, Lawyers and Finger-Pointing: “Cornell Seven” Attorneys Fiery New Filings appeared first on LAmag.
