Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield ruled that John A. Sarcone III was not lawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
- The judge said Sarcone’s past or future acts in that capacity are void or voidable and quashed subpoenas tied to investigations of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
- On Friday, Schofield denied Sarcone’s sealed application for IRS tax return information in a criminal probe, finding he lacked authority to authorize the request.
- The IRS filing remains sealed, with reporting indicating it sought tax data for a limited liability company without identifying the filer.
- Schofield’s rulings align with decisions in other districts disqualifying Trump-era appointees after DOJ reassigned them without Senate confirmation, while the department says it will continue to defend its appointment authority.