New York Attorney General Letitia James

U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield ruled that John Sarcone was unlawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney in the Northern District of New York, disqualified him from two criminal investigations related to Attorney General Letitia James, and quashed subpoenas he issued after finding DOJ used impermissible personnel moves to keep him beyond the 120‑day interim limit. The ruling — which bars Sarcone from further involvement and aligns with a string of recent decisions invalidating several Trump‑era interim appointments — drew praise from James’s office as a win for the rule of law while DOJ disputes the validity of the appointments amid ongoing probes, including a new inquiry into James’s transactions with her hairdresser.