The Department of Justice (DOJ) fired the replacement for interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, hours after district court judges voted to replace her with her top assistant.
In a post on X, Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted how Habba, a New Jersey-born lawyer, “has been doing a great job” in making the state safe again. Bondi added, despite that, “politically minded judges refused” to allow Habba to remain in her position.
“Accordingly, the First Assistant United States Attorney in New Jersey has just been removed,” Bondi added. “This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers.”
Bondi’s announcement comes after judges voted to replace Habba with Desiree Grace, who had served as Habba’s first assistant. Judges replacing Habba with Grace comes as Habba’s 120-day interim period is set to expire.
Grace, who has worked as a federal prosecutor since 2016, is a Republican, according to the New Jersey Globe. At the time of her appointment as Habba’s first assistant, Grace had been “serving as chief of the criminal division.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to Bondi’s statement by saying that the district judges in New Jersey had “proved this was never about law,” but about politics.
“They forced out President Trump’s pick, @UsAttyHabba, then installed her deputy, colluding with the NJ Senators along the way,” Blanche added. “It won’t work. Pursuant to the President’s authority, we have removed that deputy, effective immediately.”
In March, President Donald Trump appointed Habba, who is from an Iraqi family, to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, adding that John Giordano, who had been in the position, had been nominated to serve as the ambassador to Namibia.
At the beginning of the month, Trump nominated Habba to serve a full four-year term in her role. Despite this, New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker (D) and Andy Kim (D) have indicated that they will not support her in the role, the Washington Post reported. The Senate also has yet to confirm her.
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