Overview

• A panel of Northern District of New York federal judges formally declined Monday to convert John Sarcone’s interim appointment into a permanent U.S. attorney role.
• Sarcone’s interim tenure ends Tuesday, leaving him reliant on President Trump’s formal nomination and Senate confirmation to retain the position.
• The judges’ decision departs from Trump-era norms of extending interim U.S. attorneys, contrasting with last month’s permanent appointment of Michael DiGiacomo in the Western District.
• Sarcone, who has no previous prosecutorial experience and served on President Trump’s 2016 election law team, had incorrectly claimed that judges had approved his permanent appointment before the board refuted his statement.
• The move intensifies debates over judicial authority, political influence and candidate qualifications in U.S. attorney selections.