A U.S. appeals court decided that John Sarcone was appointed illegally.
The court blocked him from looking into New York Attorney General Letitia James. It also upheld a block on formal requests from the U.S. Justice Department to her office. The ruling was issued on August 21 2026.
The decision halts the administration from pushing its case against a political opponent. It raises uncertainty regarding Senate approval for the Albany prosecutor. Senate confirmation had been awaited for the Albany position. The decision was covered by several news organisations.