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Federal judge disqualifies US attorney, tosses subpoenas targeting NY AG Letitia James
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A federal judge on Thursday disqualified a U.S. attorney in upstate New York and tossed out subpoenas he issued to state Attorney General Letitia James.
In a 24-page ruling, Judge Lorna Schofield, an Obama appointee, ruled that John Sarcone has been unlawfully serving as the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
“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,” Schofield wrote.
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U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III delivers a speech after being sworn in on March 17, 2025, at the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse in Albany, New York. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
“The subpoenas are unenforceable due to a threshold defect: Mr. Sarcone was not lawfully serving as Acting U.S. Attorney when the subpoenas were issued,” the judge wrote.
James challenged Sarcone’s authority after he issued subpoenas seeking information about lawsuits she filed against President Donald Trump. She claimed he had committed fraud in his business dealings, and separately against the National Rifle Association and some of its former leaders, The Associated Press reported.
James has claimed that the subpoenas were part of a campaign over her investigations into Trump allies.
“This decision is an important win for the rule of law and we will continue to defend our office’s successful litigation from this administration’s political attacks,” a spokesperson for James’ office told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital has reached out to James and the Justice Department on the judge’s subpoena decision.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks to the media outside the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, Oct. 24, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
The DOJ contends that Sarcone was properly appointed and that his subpoenas were valid.
Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Sarcone an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days. When that term expired, a federal court declined to extend his tenure.
“On the same day that the judges declined to extend Mr. Sarcone’s appointment, the Department took coordinated steps – through personnel moves and shifting titles – to install Mr. Sarcone as Acting U.S. Attorney. Federal law does not permit such a workaround,” the ruling states.
Federal judges have also disqualified prosecutors in Nevada, the Los Angeles area and Virginia.
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Lindsey Halligan’s dismissal as Virginia’s top federal prosecutor resulted in the tossing of indictments against James and former FBI Director James Comey.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered Halligan to explain why she continues to call herself the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia despite another judge in November determining that she was unlawfully appointed to the role.
Read the full article from Here
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.
When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.
Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.
But the views are incredible.
Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.
Hunt Trail
Abol Trail
Chimney Pond Trail
Cathedral Trail
Saddle Trail
Northwest Basin Trail
Knife Edge
Tablelands
South Peak
Hamlin Peak
Police shot and killed a man who officials say rushed officers with a knife during a call in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the situation started around 1:40 p.m. when Lexington police received a 911 call from a resident of Mason Street reporting that his son had injured himself with a knife.
Officers from the Lexington Police Department and officers from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), who were already in town for Patriots’ Day events, responded to the call.
Police were able to escort two other residents out of the home, initially leaving a 26-year-old man inside. According to Ryan, while officers were setting up outside, the man ran out of the home and approached officers with a large kitchen knife.
She added that police tried twice to use non-lethal force, but it was not effective in stopping him. The man was shot by a Wilmington police officer who is a member of NEMLEC. The man was pronounced dead on scene and the officer who fired that shot was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
The man’s name has not been released.
Ryan said typically in a call like this where someone was described as harming themselves, officers would first try to separate anyone else to keep them out of danger, which was done, and then standard practice would be to try to wait outside.
“It would be their practice to just wait for the person to come out. In the terrible circumstances of today, he suddenly rushed the officers, still clutching the knife,” Ryan said.
The investigation is still in the preliminary stages and more information is expected in time. Ryan said her office will request a formal inquest from the court to review whether any criminal conduct has occurred, which is the standard process.
This happened around the same time as the annual Patriots’ Day Parade, and just hours after a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, which drew large crowds to town.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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