Judge disqualifies federal prosecutor in investigation into Letitia James
CNBC••nation
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 serving unlawfully when requesting subpoenas.
- Judge Lorna G. Schofield stated the Department of Justice bypassed statutory procedures after judges declined to extend Sarcone's tenure, rendering 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.
- The ruling is part of a broader pattern of courts scrutinizing the Trump administration's attempts to keep favored U.S. attorneys in office beyond legally permitted terms without Senate confirmation
