Ex-Trump Lawyer Habba Removed as โNew Jersey’s acting U.S. โAttorney
TRENTON,โฃ N.J. – A federal judge on Friday disqualified formerโ President Donald Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, from serving as the acting U.S. Attorneyโฃ for New Jersey, effectively ending herโ controversial tenure leading the state’s federal law enforcement.The ruling stemsโ from a legal challenge arguing Habba’sโ repeated appointments circumvented established federal procedures for selecting the state’s top prosecutor.
The decision throws theโ future of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey into uncertainty, impacting ongoing federal investigations and prosecutions within the state. Habba’s appointment, repeatedly extended by Attorney โGeneral Pam Bondi despite โขobjections from New Jersey’s Democratic senators and a prior attempt by โfederal judges to install a careerโ prosecutor, ignited โa dispute over presidential authority versus established legal protocols. The case underscores the ongoingโ tension between the executive branch and the judiciary regarding appointments to key law enforcementโ positions.
Habba’s initial temporary appointment faced scrutiny in Julyโ as it neared expiration, with Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim signaling they would not support a permanent nomination. Following this, federal judges in New Jersey attempted to replace Habba with a career prosecutor already โserving โคas her second-in-command. However, Bondi later dismissed the prosecutor and re-appointed Habba in an acting โคcapacity, prompting โthe Justice โขDepartment to assert Trump’s authority to select his preferred โคcandidate.
Judgeโค John M.Brann‘s โruling steadfast that the president’s appointments remain subject to the limitations and power-sharing โคrules outlined in federal law. The Justice Department had argued the judges acted prematurely, but Brann’s decision affirms โขthe judiciary’s role in overseeing the appointment process.
The legal challenge highlighted concerns that Habba’sโ political affiliations and lack of traditional prosecutorial experience were inappropriate for the position. Her primary background is in civil litigation, representing Trump in various legal battles.The ruling effectively reinstates the processโ for aโ permanent U.S. Attorney appointment, perhaps leading to a nominee vetted and confirmed through the Senate.