New Jersey's top prosecutor resigns after appeals court deems ineligible her appointment.
Alina Habba has resigned as the US Attorney for New Jersey. This comes after a judicial decision that challenged her eligibility to hold the office.
Official Departure
The head of the Justice Department, Pam Bondi, announced Habba's resignation on Monday. In a statement that the appeals court finding made it unworkable for the official to perform her duties.
"Let no one confuse compliance for surrender," she wrote. "This battle will now stretch across the nation."
Legal Background
The departure follows closely on a US appeals court found that she had been acting without proper authority as the federal prosecutor. This ruling is could influence numerous criminal cases in New Jersey.
The appellate judges said that a interim role that bypassed the advice and consent of the Senate ran afoul of the federal law governing appointments.
Ongoing Legal Battle
It was also stated that she will remain at the DOJ as a senior adviser. They intend to pursue additional appeals of the ruling, aiming for a reversal.
On a social media platform, the Attorney General argued that the judiciary "cannot be permitted to second-guess the appointment of prosecutors tasked with performing the executive branch's core responsibility of criminal prosecution."
Performance in Office
The attorney general commended the prosecutor's work and said that while she was in charge, the city of Newark saw a one-fifth decrease in crime. She also stated that the Camden recorded its first summer in 50 years without a homicide.
Background and Previous Role
The 41-year-old attorney, first joined the former president's legal defense in 2021. She went on to defended Trump in his New York criminal case in 2024, when he was conviction on multiple felony counts of falsifying business records.
Earlier, her appointment to the role of US Attorney, Donald Trump had announced he was selecting her as his White House advisor in a potential future term, calling Habba as "unwavering in her loyalty" and a relentless legal advocate.
