New Jersey's federal judges have chosen not to keep Alina Habba as the state's top federal prosecutor, ending her four-month stint as interim US attorney. The judges, in a brief order Tuesday signed by Chief US District Judge Renée Bumb, named Desiree Grace—Habba's deputy and a career prosecutor—to take over, the Wall Street Journal reports. No explanation was offered for the switch. Later Tuesday, however, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Grace had been "removed" as the assistant US attorney, reports the New York Times.
"This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges," Bondi said in a post on X, "especially when they threaten the President's core Article II powers." Habba, once President Trump's personal attorney and a White House counselor, had been installed in March as a temporary pick. Her continued tenure past the 120-day limit depended on either Senate confirmation or a green light from the district's judges, neither of which materialized. Trump had sought to make her appointment permanent, but that process had yet to move forward in the Senate, the Journal reports.
The decision followed weeks of controversy over Habba's qualifications and actions. Her critics, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, labeled her a "woefully unqualified political hack" and urged the judges to oust her. The Trump administration, however, stood by Habba, citing her independence and adherence to protocol. The judges' decision, made in a private vote Monday, may cause another showdown between the administration and the federal judiciary, and it's not clear whether the judges will be able to enforce their appointment of Grace, the Times reports.
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