ALBANY — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albany recently began adding the name of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to criminal court filings in what appears to be a preemptive move in anticipation of a judge potentially disqualifying acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III from his position.
The addition of the name of U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s second-in-command to plea agreements and other court documents began days after attorneys for the Justice Department and the state attorney general’s office argued on Dec. 4 before a federal judge over whether Sarcone had been lawfully appointed. Although Sarcone’s name is still listed on many of the office’s court records, including criminal case filings, the addition of Blanche’s name is apparently being done to ensure that the documents won’t later be determined invalid.
The court battle stems from Attorney General Letitia James challenging two subpoenas that were served on her office in July. The grand jury subpoenas were issued as part of a federal investigation into whether James may have violated federal statutes by pursuing lawsuits against the National Rifle Association and President Donald J. Trump for allegedly political motives…