Trump's former lawyer leaves her post following appeals court disqualifies her service.
Alina Habba has left her position as the chief federal prosecutor in the state. This follows a judicial decision that questioned her legal standing to occupy the role.
Attorney General's Statement
The head of the Justice Department, the Attorney General, confirmed her stepping down on the start of the week. In a statement that the court's "flawed" ruling made it "untenable" for her to lead the department effectively.
"Let no one confuse following the order as giving up," she wrote. "This battle will now stretch across the country."
Judicial Challenge
The departure follows closely on a judicial panel ruled that she had been serving in violation of the law as the federal prosecutor. This decision is could influence scores of prosecutions in New Jersey.
The appellate judges ruled that a acting appointment that bypassed Senate approval breached the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Future Role and Reaction
The Attorney General added that Habba will remain at the DOJ as a senior adviser. She will pursue additional appeals of the ruling, in the hope of achieving a different outcome.
On a social media platform, Bondi wrote that the judiciary "must not countermand the President's choice of prosecutors tasked with carrying out the primary duty of the administration of prosecuting crime."
Performance in Office
Bondi commended her tenure and noted that under her leadership, the Newark saw a significant drop in crime. It was also reported that the Camden experienced its first summer in 50 years free from homicides.
Background and Previous Role
Habba, was initially recruited to Trump's personal legal team in 2021. She later acted for Trump in his New York criminal case in 2024, when he was conviction on multiple felony counts of falsifying business records.
Prior to her appointment to the federal prosecutor position, the former president had announced he was appointing her as his White House advisor in a potential future term, calling the lawyer as "unwavering in her loyalty" and a relentless legal advocate.
