The new interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, appointed to the post by President Donald Trump, once called out President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama, and twice-failed presidential contender Hillary Clinton.
John A. Sarcone III, a lawyer in private practice in Westchester County, accused Biden of being a “traitor” and committing “treason” in a 2022 social media post.
After Biden tweeted on New Year’s Eve that year he was “ready to get things done,” Sarcone responded, “Traitor should be tried for treason. Worst person to occupy the White House.”
Sarcone once tweeted that Obama should be “the first illegal alien deported” while calling for Clinton to be jailed for treason.
Sarcone was allowed to be placed in his interim position without needing Senate confirmation. And while he does not have any prosecutorial experience, he has a lengthy track record as an attorney who has also worked for Trump’s campaigns.
When Sarcone was sworn in on Monday in Albany, he defended his limited prosecutorial experience by asserting in his speech that what truly defines a good prosecutor is “judgment.”
“I believe the prosecutorial power, and discretion,” he said, “is best entrusted to those with the full breadth of professional and life experiences, from which common sense, wisdom, and informed judgment emerge.” Sarcone said his priorities will include securing the border with Canada; ending “lawlessness and willful disregard” for federal laws; and fighting against public corruption, scams and consumer fraud.
In addition, the interim U.S. attorney suggested he could target Upstate colleges and universities, saying federal prosecutors will support students’ rights “to be free from harassment or threats because of their religious beliefs.”
“Our reach will not stop at prosecuting those who choose to violate our laws, but also those who knowingly support any violations in any way, shape or form,” he said, per Syracuse.com.
Meanwhile, the FBI announced Thursday that it had arrested the top leader of MS-13 on the East Coast of the United States.
The 24-year-old suspect was apprehended in Woodbridge, Va., which is just south of Washington, D.C. The suspect’s name has not been made public yet, but the police say he is one of the three most important MS-13 gang leaders in the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel monitored the arrest from a tactical operations center nearby. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche Emil Bove, another top DOJ official, were also present, according to reports.
“Early this morning, one of the top leaders of MS-13 was apprehended. He was the leader for the East Coast, one of the top three in the entire country, right here in Virginia … He is an illegal alien from El Salvador — and he will not be living in our country much longer,” Bondi declared.
“They executed a clean, safe operation, and the bad guys in custody. And thanks to the FBI, we got one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country is a lot safer today,” Bondi said.
“From the second Donald Trump took office, he said he is going to make America safe. He shut down our borders and now it’s our job to get these people out of our country… We will not have another Laken Riley,” Bondi added.
“Arrests have increased 468% from the same period last year. We didn’t need new laws, as President Trump always says — we needed a new president,” she continued. “America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13, he is off the streets. This has been an ongoing directive of President Trump. His directive to me when I became Attorney General of the United States was very simple: Keep America safe.”
Patel added: “This task force is going to go everywhere as needed, across the United States to bring the form of justice and measured security and safety that our American citizens deserve… If you are going to continue to commit acts of violent crime, you will meet the same fate that this individual did this morning.”