Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield ruled that John Sarcone III was unlawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
- The court declared unenforceable the subpoenas Sarcone sought for records tied to Letitia James’s civil cases against President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association.
- Justice Department lawyers contend Sarcone’s appointment and the subpoenas were valid, while James describes the inquiry as retaliatory.
- Schofield rejected the tactic of rehiring Sarcone as a “special attorney” to reinstall him in charge, writing that federal law does not permit such a workaround.
- The decision aligns with other recent disqualifications of Trump-appointed prosecutors in multiple districts, with uncertainty over operational impacts and potential appeals.