Alina Habba Resigns as New Jersey U.S. Attorney After Court Ruling

Alina Habba has stepped down as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey after a federal appeals court found her appointment unlawful. The resignation ends a controversial tenure marked by her high-profile proximity to former President Donald Trump and her rapid rise into a powerful prosecutorial post that she held on a temporary basis. Habba had been appointed in March to serve a limited term, a move that increasingly drew scrutiny as courts examined the legality of acting appointments made by the Trump administration.

In a statement posted on social media, Habba said she was resigning “to protect the stability and integrity” of the office. She described the court ruling as political, while maintaining that the Justice Department would continue its appeal of the decision. She also emphasized that the administration would persevere in its efforts, adding that the resignation would not weaken the department or her personally.

With her departure, responsibilities for the office will be redistributed among three Justice Department lawyers, and Habba will remain with the DOJ in a senior advisory role to the attorney general, Pam Bondi. Habba, who previously worked as a partner at a small New Jersey firm, gained prominence as a vocal defender of Trump before his presidency and during his earlier legal battles, though critics noted she had limited prosecutorial experience.

The shift is part of a broader national debate over the legality of acting U.S. attorneys appointed in the final years of the prior administration, as several such appointments have been challenged on the basis that they exceeded statutory time limits. The change signals both a practical reorganization within the New Jersey office and the ongoing legal jockeying surrounding executive branch appointments.

Cover image source: Alina Habba, a Trump Loyalist, Resigns as New Jersey’s Top Prosecutor 🔗

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