The White House fired the interim US attorney in Albany on Wednesday, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, just hours after he was sworn into the role following an appointment by a panel of judges.
The firing by the White House is the latest move underscoring the hostile relationship President Donald Trump has had with federal courts that have blocked the administration’s policies, with the president often taking to social media to rail against judges involved in those cases.
“Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does,” Blanche wrote on X Wednesday, adding: “You are fired, Donald Kinsella.”
The district court judges contacted Kinsella, who previous served as chief of the criminal division, Wednesday morning and asked him to serve as US attorney, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. A vacancy was created last month when a federal judge found John Sarcone was serving unlawfully as US attorney. Sarcone continues to work in the US attorney’s office under the title First Assistant US attorney.
Kinsella, who is 79, agreed and was sworn in during a virtual ceremony with the chief judge and others that afternoon. Later that day, Kinsella was notified by an email from the White House that Trump had removed him from the position.
Reached by CNN Thursday, Kinsella confirmed the events and declined further comment.
Kinsella has spent 50 years in criminal and civil litigation, according to the court’s announcement of Kinsella’s appointment.
Trump previously appointed his personal lawyer and an administration official to key US attorney positions in New Jersey and Virginia. Judges found the appointments of both women — Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan — to be unlawful, along with appointments in Nevada and the Central District of California.
