US Attorney Post: Alina Habba Stepping Down Amid Unlawful Appointment Ruling
In a surprise move, Alina Habba has resigned as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey after a series of rulings deemed her interim appointment unlawful. The former lawyer to Donald Trump had been at the center of controversy over her prolonged tenure in the role.
Habba's resignation comes amid reports that her initial 120-day term had expired, and she was reappointed as a "special attorney" by Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General. However, this decision was challenged by New Jersey's top federal judges, who ruled that Habba's appointment contravened state law.
A federal appeals court in Pennsylvania later upheld this ruling, effectively barring Habba from prosecuting cases. Despite this, the indictments she had signed remained in place.
In a statement on social media, Habba expressed her intention to continue serving as an advisor to the US Attorney General's office, albeit in a reduced capacity. "Do not mistake compliance for surrender," she stated.
Habba's exit marks a significant setback for Bondi and the Trump administration. The White House had earlier been keen to see Habba remain in the post, citing concerns about the erosion of traditional customs governing judicial appointments.
In response to the controversy surrounding Habba's appointment, President Trump expressed disappointment at the breakdown of the "blue slip" system – a courtesy mechanism allowing home-state senators to signal their approval for judicial appointees. The president suggested that this system had become increasingly politicized, leading to the appointment of unelected officials despite lack of confirmation.
Habba will now return to her role if the ruling in question is reversed.
In a surprise move, Alina Habba has resigned as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey after a series of rulings deemed her interim appointment unlawful. The former lawyer to Donald Trump had been at the center of controversy over her prolonged tenure in the role.
Habba's resignation comes amid reports that her initial 120-day term had expired, and she was reappointed as a "special attorney" by Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General. However, this decision was challenged by New Jersey's top federal judges, who ruled that Habba's appointment contravened state law.
A federal appeals court in Pennsylvania later upheld this ruling, effectively barring Habba from prosecuting cases. Despite this, the indictments she had signed remained in place.
In a statement on social media, Habba expressed her intention to continue serving as an advisor to the US Attorney General's office, albeit in a reduced capacity. "Do not mistake compliance for surrender," she stated.
Habba's exit marks a significant setback for Bondi and the Trump administration. The White House had earlier been keen to see Habba remain in the post, citing concerns about the erosion of traditional customs governing judicial appointments.
In response to the controversy surrounding Habba's appointment, President Trump expressed disappointment at the breakdown of the "blue slip" system – a courtesy mechanism allowing home-state senators to signal their approval for judicial appointees. The president suggested that this system had become increasingly politicized, leading to the appointment of unelected officials despite lack of confirmation.
Habba will now return to her role if the ruling in question is reversed.
Alina Habba's resignation is a major blow to Bondi and Trump, but like what even was up with that whole appointment deal? 
120 days expired and then she gets reappointed as special attorney? 
And the fact that it got challenged by NJ judges and they actually upheld the ruling... that's wild. I feel bad for her though, getting caught in all this drama 
. Do you guys think she'll ever be able to serve in a normal capacity again or is it just one of those things that will haunt her forever? 
. I mean, I get it, she's a lawyer and all, but come on, 120 days just wasn't enough time for her to settle into the role? 
and then Pam Bondi goes ahead and reappoints her as "special attorney" like that's a thing 
.
. And what's with Trump being all upset about the "blue slip" system? Like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying they're trying to stack the deck 
? still, can't say I'm surprised considering his track record on judicial appointments... this whole thing just feels like one big mess 
.
.
, and she got appointed as top prosecutor in NJ for 120 days 
. But then some judges said "hey, that's not how it works" 
and they ruled that her appointment was kinda unlawful 
, and apparently, Habba didn't follow them correctly 
. Maybe they'll just tweak some rules 
to make it work? Who knows 
that doesn't quite fit together...
anyway, it'll be interesting to see what happens next - hopefully the system gets reformed or something...
. And btw, what's up with this "blue slip" system? It sounds like a game of judicial Twister – you gotta navigate all these twists and turns to get anyone confirmed! 
.
. And I'm so done with the "blue slip" system being all messed up 
. It's just another example of how the system can get all politicized and stuff. Can we just have a straightforward process for appointing judges and prosecutors without all the drama?