Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Thursday disqualified a U.S. attorney in New York and threw out the subpoenas he issued to the state's Attorney General Letitia James.
U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield wrote in her opinion that John Sarcone III has been unlawfully serving as the 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. "Subpoenas issued under that authority are invalid. The subpoenas are quashed, and Mr. Sarcone is disqualified from further participation in the underlying investigations."
Sarcone, a President Donald Trump loyalist, was appointed as an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days while awaiting Senate confirmation. When the interim term was up, district judges in northern New York chose not to appoint him to continue in the job.
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