Northeast
Federal judge disqualifies US attorney, tosses subpoenas targeting NY AG Letitia James
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
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.
FEDERAL JUDGE DISQUALIFIES ACTING NEVADA US ATTORNEY FROM HANDLING CASES
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.
MIKE DAVIS: WHY SCOTUS MUST REINSTATE TRUMP US ATTORNEYS ALINA HABA AND LINDSEY HALLIGAN
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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
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
As the Boston Red Sox struggle with offense like never before, the trade deadline seems to be zooming forward quicker than ever.
Though they scored six runs on Friday night and seven in a game earlier this week, the Red Sox still rank 29th in both runs scored and home runs out of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. The American League is weak, which means their 22-28 record hasn’t yet sunk their ship, but if they’re going to make any noise whatsoever this year, they’ll need more offense.
It’s no secret that trade talks have been happening across the league at a faster pace than usual for May. CEO Sam Kennedy said on WEEI this week that the Red Sox were looking to add offense. But they’ve also got some baseline criteria that The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported on Saturday.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Red Sox looking for right-handed bats
According to McCaffrey, the Red Sox’s preference is to add a right-handed bat, with position being something of an afterthought. The team’s weakest offensive positions thus far have been all over the infield, excluding first base, catcher, and left field.
“What caliber of bat and what the Red Sox would be willing to trade in return remain the biggest questions,” wrote McCaffrey.
“While an immediate trade is unlikely, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has shown early aggressiveness before. He traded Rafael Devers, one of the team’s most productive hitters, to the San Francisco Giants in a stunning deal on June 15, 2025.”
A sneaky dream target for Boston
While we don’t yet know every player available across the league, a few teams have fallen out of the race. We could examine a few trade candidates and their fits with the Red Sox, but because the preference is for a righty, a name to circle (maybe just in pencil) is Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
The Red Sox were known to be high on Neto in the offseason, but ultimately couldn’t get a deal done. It didn’t sound like things were particularly close to getting across the finish line. But the Angels, who have started the season a ghastly 18-34, have to at least be considering a total sell-off.
Neto, 25, has rebounded from a slow start to post a 115 OPS+ in the earlygoing this season. The real question is whether the Angels see him as too valuable to let go this soon, but they’re not going to get a better package for him in the future than they would now.
Just food for thought, not a report that the Red Sox are back on Neto’s tail. It’s a fit that would make sense as long as Trevor Story can’t be depended upon, and Neto could easily move infield positions someday as well.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Aditi Kinkhabwala is just as confused about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation as much of its fan base. She sees the franchise, even with all its offseason changes, running in place for another year.
Appearing on Jason La Canfora’s podcast for the BigPlay network, Kinkhabwala has trouble sussing out Pittsburgh’s plan.
“So Mike McCarthy’s opening press conference is raving about Will Howard,” she told La Canfora. “Even Aaron Rogers is raving about Will Howard. But nope, we’re not gonna see Will Howard.
“Drew Allar, they used a third-round pick on him. At the combine, Drew Allar told me that no coach put him on the board more extensively or more thoroughly than Mike McCarthy did. Clearly, McCarthy has had some interest in Drew Allar for some time. Is intrigued by this young player…so you’ve now got two young guys that you claim, you feel so strongly about their potential, but you don’t wanna see either of them.”
Aaron Rodgers’ return closed the door on any chance of Howard or Allar seeing immediate playing time this regular season. Now, it’ll take a Rodgers’ injury or total collapse of the year for either, more likely Howard, to see the field. Pittsburgh could go through most of the season learning little about Howard and Allar, leaving the franchise in the dark for its 2027 quarterback decisions.
Pittsburgh believes Rodgers gives the team the best chance to win now. But that may only get the Steelers so far.
“You’re gonna try to back in the playoffs once again, potentially lose in the first round, pick in the twenties and not get a quarterback, and not know if you have a quarterback in Will Howard or Drew Allar. Run it back. Treadmill, hamster wheel.”
A valid and real concern. Pittsburgh has a roster good enough to win 9 or 10 games, but few anticipate a deep playoff run. It could leave the Steelers as stuck and stagnant as they were during Mike Tomlin’s final seasons.
Pittsburgh hopes to learn plenty about Howard and Allar this season. Bringing Rodgers in may also be an admission that neither young quarterback is ready. Neither have taken an in-stadium snap and Allar’s game needs plenty of work, as his bumpy OTA play reminded. But to Kinkhabwala’s point, the 2026 season might not shed much light on Pittsburgh’s best options going forward, which could lead to an offseason with more questions than answers.
-
Dallas, TX1 minute ago11 Dallas neighbors declared best places to live and more top stories
-
Miami, FL7 minutes agoDolphins 90 in 90: Tight end Greg Dulcich looking to build in 2026
-
Boston, MA13 minutes agoRed Sox’s Trade Market Desires Reported By Boston Insider
-
Denver, CO19 minutes agoRookie LB Red Murdock is anything but Irrelevant and gives the Broncos a tackling and fumble forcing machine
-
Seattle, WA25 minutes agoWhere to watch Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 23
-
San Diego, CA31 minutes agoSan Diego startup is hacking plant DNA to end farming’s chemical dependence
-
Milwaukee, WI37 minutes agoBaby Keem hits the jackpot at ‘Ca$ino’ tour stop in Milwaukee
-
Atlanta, GA43 minutes agoAmber alert for 2 missing kids; ‘Operation Lockdown’
