Judges vote to oust former Trump lawyer Alina Habba as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor

The Washington Post ^ | June 22, 2025 | Jeremy Roebuck

[E. Pluribus Unum]

New Jersey’s federal judges declined Tuesday to appoint Alina Habba, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney in the state, to continue serving in that role, delivering a resounding rebuke to one of his administration’s most polarizing Justice Department appointees.

The state’s U.S. district court judges made the announcement in a brief order that did not offer any explanation for their decision. The order — signed by Renee Marie Bumb, the chief federal judge for the District of New Jersey — appointed Desiree Leigh Grace, a career prosecutor who Habba had named as her first assistant U.S. attorney as her replacement in the role.

The move, for now, means an end to Habba’s contentious tenure as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, which has seen her, in three months, open investigations into the state’s Democratic governor and attorney general as well as file felony assault charges against a Democratic member of Congress.

Trump could exercise several maneuvers to try to keep Habba in place or seek to appoint someone else to replace the judges’ pick.

The judges’ decision to reject the president’s appointee is an exceedingly rare move illustrating a growing tension between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary.

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday nor did spokespersons for the Justice Department or the White House. Administration officials have taken to social media in recent days to make clear that Habba still had the president’s support. Habba “has brought steady leadership and sound judgment as Interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post to X on Monday. “She has the full confidence of @POTUS and DOJ.”

He dismissed opposition to her nomination as “political noise.”

Trump appointed Habba — who had previously worked as his personal...

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TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections; US: New Jersey; US: New York
KEYWORDS: alina; alinahabba; desireeleighgrace; habba; hakeemjeffries; jeremyroebuck; lamonicamciver; newjersey; newyork; reneemariebumb; toddblanche; trumplawyer; washingtoncompost

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[Comment deleted.]

[rktman]

WTAF?

[Magnum44]

Someone will have to explain to me how a federal judge has any say in who the president appoints as prosecutors.

[antidemoncrat]

Judges aka Cancerous Tumors in this Republic

[BenLurkin]

I don’t get it. She open investigations into the state’s Democrat governor and attorney general and filed felony assault charges against a Democrat member of Congress, and the judges want her out?

Are they too lazy to do their job, or are they on the take from the Democrat Party?

[Fresh Wind]

The People’s Democratic Republic of New Jersey. /spit

[Valpal1]

I didn’t realize judges had the power to reject a prosecutor.

Where is that statute written?

[kiryandil]

We have to remember that most of the federal district court bench in New Jersey are Dramacrat scum, appointed by TreasonBoy Obama, DementedPedo Joe Biden, or “Rapin’ Bill” Clinton.

[joshua c]

was it more like a nonbinding resolution

i did not know judges had a say

[shanover]

All I can do also is curse and get put on time out. This is infuriating! The Executive Branch doesn’t answer to anyone but the people within the constitution and rule of law. NJ is a cesspool state run by corrupt judges and party bosses. This country can’t be run by unelected judges and activists but evidently it is and the administration is dying by a 1000 cuts going into Midterms.

[rktman]

She must have been right on target.

[Labyrinthos]

“I didn’t realize judges had the power to reject a prosecutor.
Where is that statute written?”

Its right here in the penumbra /s:

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title28/part2/chapter35&edition=prelim

[GoodBadUgly]

As understand it was a temp. Appointment. She has not yet been confirmed. In the absence of confirmation, the judges can let her stay, but chose not to. Schumer is gumming up the confirmation process in the Senate.

[GoodBadUgly]

As understand it was a temp. Appointment. She has not yet been confirmed. In the absence of confirmation, the judges can let her stay, but chose not to. Schumer is gumming up the confirmation process in the Senate.

[cotton1706]

As I understand it, the district judges are allowed to fill a vacancy so that the people’s business can go on.

The president nominated but the Senate failed to confirm (because of blue slips not returned).

Trump’s temporary appointment is expiring.

That’s what was going to happen with Ed Martin. Judge Boasberg was going to be in charge of making an appointment, so Trump pulled the nomination and appointed another temporary appointment (Janine Pirro).

[Magnum44]

Thanks for that explanation.

[kiryandil]

As of May 31, 2024:

#	Title	        Judge	                Duty 	        Term of service	                Appointed by
                                                station	Born    Active	        Chief	Senior
77	Chief Judge	Renée Marie Bumb	Camden	1960	2006–present	2023–present	G.W. Bush
80	District Judge	Susan D. Wigenton	Newark	1962	2006–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
81	District Judge	Claire C. Cecchi	Newark	1964	2011–present	—	—	Obama
82	District Judge	Esther Salas	        Newark	1968	2011–present	—	—	Obama
84	District Judge	Michael A. Shipp	Trenton	1965	2012–present	—	—	Obama
85	District Judge	Madeline Cox Arleo	Newark	1963	2014–present	—	—	Obama
87	District Judge	Brian R. Martinotti	Trenton	1961	2016–present	—	—	Obama
88	District Judge	Julien Neals	        Newark	1965	2021–present	—	—	Biden
89	District Judge	Zahid Quraishi	        Trenton	1975	2021–present	—	—	Biden
90	District Judge	Christine O'Hearn	Camden	1969	2021–present	—	—	Biden
91	District Judge	Karen M. Williams	Camden	1963	2021–present	—	—	Biden
92	District Judge	Georgette Castner	Trenton	1979	2022–present	—	—	Biden
93	District Judge	Evelyn Padin	        Newark	1960	2022–present	—	—	Biden
94	District Judge	Michael E. Farbiarz	Newark	1973	2023–present	—	—	Biden
95	District Judge	Robert Kirsch	        Trenton	1966	2023–present	—	—	Biden
96	District Judge	Jamel K. Semper	        Newark	1981	2023–present	—	—	Biden
97	District Judge	Edward S. Kiel	        Camden	1965	2024–present	—	—	Biden

senior moment judges                                                                                    Appointed by
51	Senior Judge	Anne Elise Thompson	inact	1934	1979–2001	94–2001 2001–present	Carter
54	Senior Judge	Joseph H. Rodriguez	Camden	1930	1985–1998	—	1998–present	Reagan
62	Senior Judge	Mary Little Cooper	inact	1946	1992–2011	—	2011–present	G.H.W. Bush
68	Senior Judge	Katharine S Hayden	Newark	1942	1997–2010	—	2010–present	Clinton
72	Senior Judge	Bill Martini	        Newark	1947	2002–2015	—	2015–present	G.W. Bush
74	Senior Judge	Stanley R. Chesler	Newark	1947	2002–2015	—	2015–present	G.W. Bush
79	Senior Judge	Peter G. Sheridan	inact	1950	2006–2018	—	2018–present	G.W. Bush
83	Senior Judge	Kevin McNulty	        inact	1954	2012–2023	—	2023–present	Obama

[llevrok]

It’s the law that the judges do have input

There are 14 judges in this district, 12 of whom were appointed by Obama or Biden. No fix was in, I’m sure.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Immediately appoint her as Special Presidential Advisor/Prosecutor for all the nefarious democRAT and DemoKKKrat shenanigans.

[Fledermaus]

“means an end to Habba’s contentious tenure as”

WaPo bias.