Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made a shocking move late Wednesday night, firing the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York mere hours after a panel of federal judges had appointed him to the post. His action really showcases the ongoing battle between the executive branch and the courts over who gets to staff these crucial U.S. Attorney positions.
The Trump administration has been actively trying to install favored prosecutors while circumventing both the Senate and the judicial system, and this latest maneuver is perhaps the most dramatic yet. The judges in New York had selected longtime lawyer Donald Kinsella to serve as the new U.S. attorney. They were using their established, long-held constitutional power to appoint top prosecutors whenever an interim U.S. attorney’s term comes to an end.
