WASHINGTON: The Justice Department moved on Wednesday to fire the newly appointed US attorney for the Northern District of New York, the same day federal judges unveiled his selection to replace a prosecutor allied with President Donald Trump’s administration.
Donald Kinsella was appointed by the Northern District of New York Board of Judges in a ceremony on Wednesday to replace John Sarcone, who had been serving in an acting capacity and was recently disqualified by a federal court.
Sarcone had faced legal challenges to his appointment, which blocked his involvement in an investigation of New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“You are fired, Donald Kinsella,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Judges don’t pick US Attorneys, @POTUS does.”
According to Reuters, Kinsella, who has decades of experience in both criminal and civil litigation, previously served as an assistant US attorney and as the criminal chief of the Justice Department. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Last month, a federal judge ruled that Sarcone was unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in Albany, New York, and barred him from involvement in cases concerning Attorney General James.
Following the ruling, the Justice Department listed Sarcone on its website as the “first assistant US attorney.”
The DOJ employed a series of procedural maneuvers to retain Sarcone as acting US attorney after a federal court declined to extend his 120-day interim appointment.
However, those efforts were found unlawful in court, consistent with similar rulings rejecting such appointments in California, Nevada, and New Jersey.
Legal and political experts have criticized the Trump administration for targeting political opponents, with some labeling the moves as part of broader efforts to influence ongoing investigations.
Attorney General Letitia James, an elected Democrat and one of Trump’s prominent political adversaries, has claimed that investigations against her are retaliatory, connected to lawsuits against Trump’s family business.
The unfolding conflict highlights a growing tension between the executive branch and the judiciary over the appointment of federal prosecutors, raising questions about the balance of power and the potential politicization of the Justice Department.
