New York’s Attorney Grievance Committee said it found a sufficient basis for a finding of professional misconduct involving John A. Sarcone III and took action that ended the matter. The complaint that led to the review had been filed in Aug. 2025 by the Campaign for Accountability.
The grievance panel said it could not be more specific because disciplinary papers, records and documents are sealed and confidential. In a brief note to the watchdog group, the committee said: “After deliberation, the Committee determined there was a sufficient basis for a finding of professional misconduct and took appropriate action. With this action the matter is concluded.”
The complaint accused Sarcone of making false claims about the severity of an incident tied to a man’s arrest under improperly heightened charges, of making statements that were allegedly deceptive about the nature of his residence and of retaliating against the media after reporting on those issues. Michelle Kuppersmith, who leads the Campaign for Accountability, said the New York Attorney Grievance Committee recognized that Sarcone engaged in professional misconduct, even if the sanctions themselves remain secret.
Kuppersmith said Sarcone had acted erratically and potentially illegally over the last four months since he was sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney. She said: “Over the last four months since he was sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sarcone has behaved erratically and potentially illegally. His actions raise questions not only about his suitability for the current office in which he serves, but about his fitness as a lawyer, period.” She also said: “While we’re pleased the New York Attorney Grievance Committee recognized that Mr. Sarcone, who remains First Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, engaged in professional misconduct, a secret slap on the wrist is insufficient. Mr. Sarcone’s pattern of conduct reflects on his credibility as an officer of the court, so any court in which he appears — along with the public — deserves to know what he was sanctioned for and why.”
The case lands against a broader fight over Sarcone’s authority in the Northern District of New York. He was one of the Trump Justice Department lawyers investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James, but a federal judge later ruled that he was unlawfully serving as Interim U.S. Attorney and had no legal authority when he subpoenaed James’s office during the summer. He was barred from overseeing the criminal charges in January, and the same 120-day limit on interim U.S. attorneys has created problems in other districts, including New Jersey and the Eastern District of Virginia.
The grievance committee says on its website that it is committed to protecting the public, maintaining the honor and integrity of the legal profession and deterring attorneys from committing professional misconduct. In this case, the public will not learn what discipline was imposed, but the committee has now said the threshold for misconduct was met and the file is closed.
