Topline
Former Trump defense attorney Alina Habba, a Trump ally who drew controversy during her tenure for charging Democratic politicians over their clashes with federal immigration agents, was removed as U.S. attorney in New Jersey on Tuesday before her replacement, Desiree Leigh Grace, was promptly fired by the Justice Department in protest against Habba’s firing.
Alina Habba speaks after being sworn in as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey at the White ... More
New Jersey’s Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb confirmed Tuesday that Habba had not received enough judicial support in a Monday vote to remain in the role, instead announcing that the judges had replaced her with Grace, a more experienced prosecutor who was previously Habba’s first assistant, The New York Times noted.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Grace was removed, accusing the judges who opposed Habba of being “politically minded” and saying the DOJ “does not tolerate rogue judges.”
Habba, whom Trump appointed to serve as the interim U.S. attorney in New Jersey, needed either Senate confirmation or a vote by the state’s federal judges in order to remain in her role past her initial 120-day term, which expired this week.
Habba became known as one of Trump’s most vocal attorneys prior to her appointment as U.S. attorney, frequently appearing on television to advocate for Trump while also representing him in major cases like the civil fraud trial against Trump and his company and writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against the president.
Since becoming U.S. attorney, Habba has garnered controversy for her decisions to charge Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Rep. Monica McIver, D-N.J., in connection with their efforts to tour a federal immigration detention facility in the state—sparking a rebuke from the judge overseeing Baraka’s case, who chastised Habba’s office for its “worrisome misstep” in arresting the mayor after prosecutors swiftly dropped the charges.
While the Times notes that judges replacing a U.S. attorney like this is rare, it marks the second time they’ve done so since Trump’s second term began, also rejecting John A. Sarcone III as the U.S. attorney of the Northern District of New York.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—also a former defense attorney for the president—criticized the judges who voted against Habba’s appointment, accusing them Tuesday of “trying to force out [Habba] before her term expires at 11:59 p.m. Friday.” “Their rush reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law,” Blanche claimed in an X post after the judges’ decision was revealed. “Alina is President Trump’s choice to lead—and no partisan bench can override that.”
The judges’ decision not to extend Habba’s term as U.S. attorney does not necessarily mean she’ll leave the office entirely. In Sarcone’s case, the Trump administration responded to judges rejecting his appointment by naming him as the “special attorney to the attorney general,” a role that officials said carries the same responsibilities as the U.S. attorney despite the different title. It remains to be seen if Habba could now receive a similar appointment in New Jersey, or a different role within the Trump administration.
Habba still faces a civil lawsuit from Baraka over his arrest, with the Newark mayor accusing the prosecutor of false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation in connection with her decision to arrest him and subsequent public comments justifying the charges. While Habba dropped the charges against Baraka, the government’s prosecution against McIver remains ongoing, and the Democratic lawmaker has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials.
Habba is a New Jersey-based attorney who was best known for representing a parking garage prior to being catapulted into the national spotlight when she began representing Trump in 2021. She did not have any experience as a prosecutor prior to being named U.S. attorney, according to the Times. The lawyer has gone on to be one of Trump’s most loyal attorneys, going beyond the courtroom to represent him on television and speak at major Republican events like the Republican National Convention and the Conservative Political Action Conference. Habba drew controversy as Trump’s personal attorney, garnering repeated rebukes from the court during the Carroll defamation trial for failing to follow basic courtroom procedures like the process for introducing evidence. She also reportedly settled a lawsuit in 2024 with a former waitress at Trump’s Bedminster golf club, who claimed Habba tricked her into signing a non-disclosure agreement after the waitress alleged she had been harassed by a coworker at the club.
The judges’ announcement of Habba being replaced came after the New Jersey Globe reported last week the prosecutor told colleagues she could depart the office following the judges’ vote, though she hoped she would be able to stay on in the role. Trump administration officials had come to the lawyer’s defense ahead of the judges’ Monday vote, with Blanche tweeting early Monday morning that Habba had the Justice Department’s “full confidence.” Habba “has brought steady leadership and sound judgment as Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey,” Blanche wrote on X, while DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle wrote “Alina Habba is keeping New Jersey safe. Politics aside, the choice to keep her is an easy one.” Democrats had protested Habba remaining in the role, however, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., writing on X, “Alina Habba is a woefully unqualified political hack who has to go.” Habba in an interview with Fox News on Monday complained about Democrats’ opposition to her, before the judges’ decision was announced, claiming she “can’t get in front of the full Senate” for a confirmation vote “if Hakeem Jeffries is making comments like that.”