A board of federal judges rejected interim top prosecutor John Sarcone III’s bid to lead the upstate New York US attorney’s office permanently Monday – despite his claim last week he received the panel’s approval.

The judges made the announcement in a simple one-sentence statement. As an appointee of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, interim U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III had required approval by the Board of Judges to continue as U.

While serving as interim U.S. attorney in Albany, John A. Sarcone III claimed that the judges had appointed him to the office permanently. They had not.