Alina Habba, New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, tendered her resignation on Monday after a federal appeals court ruled that she had unlawfully assumed the position. The decision comes after an ongoing investigation into Habba's appointment as acting U.S. attorney by the Trump administration.
Habba, one of several U.S. attorneys found to have been improperly appointed by the Trump team, will now serve as a senior adviser to the New Jersey Attorney General, focusing on U.S. attorneys. In a statement announcing her resignation, Habba vowed not to "surrender" in the face of opposition and declared that her departure would not weaken the Justice Department.
The Third Circuit's ruling last week upheld a federal judge's decision that Habba lacked Senate confirmation, rendering her appointment unlawful. This verdict marks a significant blow to the Trump administration's efforts to circumvent congressional oversight.
State Representative Frank Pallone Jr., who had repeatedly called for Habba's resignation, welcomed the development, saying "Donald Trump and his right-wing partisans are not above the law." He added that Habba's actions as acting U.S. attorney had caused problems for federal courts in New Jersey and targeted Trump's political opponents.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the court's decision as "flawed," citing what she called "politicized judges" as responsible for disrupting federal prosecutions. However, the Justice Department plans to seek further review of the ruling and has appointed a team of officials to temporarily oversee Habba's duties in New Jersey.
Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox, and Ari Fontecchio will divide the responsibilities of the U.S. attorney, with Lamparello overseeing the Criminal Division, Fox handling the Civil and Appellate divisions, and Fontecchio serving as executive assistant U.S. attorney. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed confidence in the team's abilities and commitment to carrying out their mission.
Habba's resignation marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of Trump-era U.S. attorney appointments.
Habba, one of several U.S. attorneys found to have been improperly appointed by the Trump team, will now serve as a senior adviser to the New Jersey Attorney General, focusing on U.S. attorneys. In a statement announcing her resignation, Habba vowed not to "surrender" in the face of opposition and declared that her departure would not weaken the Justice Department.
The Third Circuit's ruling last week upheld a federal judge's decision that Habba lacked Senate confirmation, rendering her appointment unlawful. This verdict marks a significant blow to the Trump administration's efforts to circumvent congressional oversight.
State Representative Frank Pallone Jr., who had repeatedly called for Habba's resignation, welcomed the development, saying "Donald Trump and his right-wing partisans are not above the law." He added that Habba's actions as acting U.S. attorney had caused problems for federal courts in New Jersey and targeted Trump's political opponents.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the court's decision as "flawed," citing what she called "politicized judges" as responsible for disrupting federal prosecutions. However, the Justice Department plans to seek further review of the ruling and has appointed a team of officials to temporarily oversee Habba's duties in New Jersey.
Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox, and Ari Fontecchio will divide the responsibilities of the U.S. attorney, with Lamparello overseeing the Criminal Division, Fox handling the Civil and Appellate divisions, and Fontecchio serving as executive assistant U.S. attorney. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed confidence in the team's abilities and commitment to carrying out their mission.
Habba's resignation marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of Trump-era U.S. attorney appointments.
This is just a typical example of how deep the rot goes in the US system, right? I mean, someone gets caught breaking the law and suddenly they're like "oh, I'm not going to surrender"? Save it for the theatrics, Alina Habba. The real question is what's next? Are we gonna have to rebuild the entire Justice Department from scratch? 
And don't even get me started on all these politicians who are supposed to be looking out for the country's best interests... Frank Pallone Jr., yeah right, he's just saying that because it sounds good, not actually meaning anything. 
, like how can ppl just assume someone is acting head of a whole department without even confirming them thru congress?! sounds super fishy to me 
and i'm glad some 1s like Rep Pallone are calling out the Trump admin for it. but at the same time, i dont want Alina Habba's career to get totally destroyed - maybe she'll be able to use this as a chance to regroup and come back even stronger 
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i mean its kinda crazy how the trump admin tried to just appoint ppl without senate approval , like wut r they even thinking ?? 
. it shows that no one is above the law, not even ppl appointed by trump 
. also, its kinda weird that attorney gen Pamela Bondi is saying politicized judges are to blame 
. hope habba actually cooperates and doesn't try to undermine her former colleagues 
. As someone who follows these developments closely, it seems like this whole thing is just a big mess 
. The fact that she was appointed without Senate confirmation and now has to work under the Attorney General is pretty problematic 
. I think it's time for the Justice Department to get its act together and figure out how to follow the law 
. This whole thing feels like a classic case of politics over principle 
, but hopefully, this is just the beginning of some much-needed reforms 
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like what's the deal with appointing someone to be the top prosecutor without going through the proper channels? and now she's just gonna be a senior adviser? 
anyway I hope this means we'll see some real change in how the Justice Department works.
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Anyway, I guess it's good that she's not a real U.S. attorney anymore, but still kinda weird that the Trump administration tried to do whatever they wanted with the system. 
. Can't we all just agree on one thing for once, like how much we love pizza? 