POLITICS

Northern New York Judge-Appointed U.S. Attorney Fired Wednesday

PUBLISHED Feb 12, 2026, 1:06 AM ET

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Sources: 6

Left 17%

Center 83%

Sources: 6

Albany, New York — Federal judges appointed Donald T. Kinsella on Wednesday to serve as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, and the Justice Department dismissed him hours later. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on X that judges do not appoint U.S. attorneys and that the president holds that authority. The judges acted under a statute allowing them to fill vacancies after federal courts found a prior acting prosecutor, John Sarcone, had served unlawfully. The office's leadership and supervisory status remained unclear following the removal, and news outlet documents. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Sarah Whitman | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

March (prior year): John Sarcone was named to lead the Northern District office.
July (prior year): Sarcone's interim term expired and judges declined to retain him under vacancy rules.
Last month: A federal judge concluded Sarcone had been serving unlawfully.
Wednesday: A panel of federal judges appointed Donald T. Kinsella to the U.S. attorney post.
Hours later: The Justice Department removed Kinsella, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posting a dismissal on X.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 6
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 5

Who Benefited

The White House and Department of Justice benefited by reaffirming presidential authority over U.S. attorney appointments and maintaining centralized control of staffing decisions in federal prosecutorial offices.

Who Impacted

Federal district office staff, local prosecutors, and litigants suffered operational uncertainty and disrupted supervision due to abrupt leadership removal and ongoing legal disputes over appointment authority.

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