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Habba steps down following appeals court decision
Alina Habba, former personal attorney to US President Donald Trump, has resigned as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor after a court ruled her appointment violated federal law. Attorney General Pam Bondi accepted the resignation on Monday, citing the ruling as an obstacle to effective leadership.
Court ruling triggers resignation
A US appeals court determined last week that Habba had been serving unlawfully as US attorney, bypassing Senate confirmation required under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The decision raised concerns about the validity of numerous criminal cases in New Jersey.
In a statement on X, Habba said she resigned "to protect the stability and integrity of the office," but vowed to continue fighting the ruling. "Do not mistake compliance for surrender," she wrote, announcing her new role as a senior adviser to Bondi.
Bondi defends Habba's record amid controversy
Bondi criticized the court's decision, arguing it undermined the president's authority to appoint prosecutors. She praised Habba's tenure, noting a 20% drop in crime in Newark and Camden's first homicide-free summer in 50 years.
"The judges should not be able to countermand the President's choice of attorneys entrusted with carrying out the executive branch's core responsibility of prosecuting crime."
Pam Bondi, US Attorney General
Trump's frustration with Senate confirmation process
At the White House on Monday, Trump echoed Habba and Bondi's criticism of the "blue slip" process, which allows home-state senators to block judicial nominees. He claimed the system prevents him from appointing non-Democrats, calling it a "very sad situation."
"I can't appoint a US attorney that's not a Democrat," Trump said. "We're losing tremendous, we're losing a lot of great people." He added that seven attorneys face similar disqualification due to the rule.
Pattern of unlawful appointments under Trump
Habba's resignation follows a series of rulings against Trump-appointed US attorneys for bypassing Senate confirmation. In Virginia, Lindsey Halligan was disqualified last month, while federal judges in California and Nevada ruled against acting prosecutors Bill Essayli and Sigal Chattah, respectively.
Trump had previously announced Habba as his presidential counsel for a potential second term, praising her loyalty. She joined his legal team in 2021 and later represented him in his New York hush-money trial, where he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
