A federal judge has barred John A. Sarcone III, an interim U.S. attorney appointed by President Donald Trump, from overseeing a criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield ruled that Sarcone, who had been serving in his role since March, was unlawfully appointed and lacked the legal authority to issue subpoenas related to James’s office. The ruling represents a significant setback for the Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute political figures deemed adversaries of the Trump administration.
Judge Schofield asserted that Sarcone had exceeded the legal limit of a 120-day interim appointment, declaring that the Justice Department’s attempts to extend his term were an “end-run” around established federal statutes. The judge criticized the government’s actions, stating, “When the Executive branch of government skirts restraints put in place by Congress and then uses that power to subject political adversaries to criminal investigations, it acts without lawful authority.”
This decision follows a pattern of federal courts ruling against the Trump administration for illegal appointments to prosecutorial positions. Schofield’s ruling specifically quashed two subpoenas Sarcone had served to James’s office, one concerning a civil fraud case against Trump, which accused him and the Trump Organization of inflating property values, and another related to litigation involving the National Rifle Association. Notably, both subpoenas bore only Sarcone’s signature and lacked endorsements from other career prosecutors in his office.
While Schofield excluded Sarcone from future involvement in the investigations, she opened the possibility for other prosecutors in his office to reissue similar subpoenas, leaving the door open for continued scrutiny of James’s actions. James has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the investigations were politically motivated attempts by Trump to leverage the Justice Department against his rivals.
A spokesperson for James hailed the ruling as an important affirmation of the rule of law, vowing to withstand what he labeled as politically driven attacks from the administration. Meanwhile, a Justice Department spokesperson did not comment on the ruling immediately, although the department has defended the president’s authority to appoint U.S. attorneys amidst Senate confirmation delays.
Sarcone’s appointment was made under a federal statute that allows for an interim U.S. attorney for a limited time, but after judges declined to reappoint him when his term expired, he was designated as a “special attorney to the attorney general,” a move criticized as circumventing proper judicial checks.
This ruling is indicative of ongoing tensions between the judiciary and the executive branch regarding appointments and the use of prosecutorial power against political adversaries. Judge Schofield’s decision serves as another reminder of the legal boundaries that govern these appointments, reaffirming the judiciary’s role in maintaining accountability within government operations.