Judge disqualifies federal prosecutor from overseeing investigations into Letitia James
PBS••general
Key Points:
- A federal judge disqualified John Sarcone, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, from overseeing investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling he was unlawfully serving when requesting subpoenas.
- Judge Lorna G. Schofield found that the Department of Justice bypassed statutory procedures after judges declined to extend Sarcone's tenure, making the subpoenas he issued invalid and quashing them.
- The subpoenas sought information related to lawsuits James filed against former President Donald Trump and the NRA, which James claims are politically motivated investigations targeting Trump's perceived enemies.
- The ruling is part of a broader pattern of courts invalidating extended or irregular appointments of acting U.S. attorneys made during the Trump administration
