Trump ally Habba resigns after court disqualified her as U.S. Attorney

Trump ally Habba resigns after court disqualified her as U.S. Attorney
Alina Habba in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 28, 2025.
Reuters

Alina Habba, the former lawyer to President Donald Trump, resigned from her position as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey on Monday after a federal appeals court ruled that her appointment was unlawful.

The decision disqualified Habba from overseeing cases, bringing months of legal uncertainty regarding her appointment to a close.

Habba, who was appointed to the role by Trump, issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that her resignation was necessary "to protect the stability and integrity of the office." She acknowledged the ongoing legal challenges to her appointment, which had created a cloud of uncertainty over her tenure.

"However, do not mistake compliance for surrender," Habba said, signaling that her resignation was not an admission of defeat but rather a strategic move to safeguard the office’s functioning amid the legal challenges.

In her statement, Habba also announced she would be taking on a new role as senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi. In this capacity, she will focus on U.S. Attorneys across the country. Following her resignation, the Justice Department appointed three experienced lawyers to oversee leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey on an interim basis.

The resignation came after a three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled last week that the Trump administration had violated federal law by appointing Habba as acting U.S. attorney. The court determined that her appointment had been made inappropriately after judges on New Jersey's federal District Court declined to extend her position, making her appointment invalid.

Habba’s resignation marks the end of a turbulent chapter for the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey, which had been embroiled in legal challenges for months. As she transitions to her new role, questions about the future of the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey and the Trump administration’s influence on judicial appointments continue to make headlines.

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