Alina Habba, who previously served as President Trump’s lawyer and spokesperson, has been replaced as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

Habba’s 120-day term expired, and the state’s top federal judge issued the order after judges declined to extend her interim role.

Desiree Leigh Grace, whom Habba named as her first assistant in the U.S. attorney’s office, will replace Habba in the role.

“The district court judges in NJ are trying to force out @USAttyHabba before her term expires at 11:59 p.m. Friday. Their rush reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

“When judges act like activists, they undermine confidence in our justice system. Alina is President Trump’s choice to lead—and no partisan bench can override that,” he added.

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President Donald Trump named his former defense lawyer and presidential adviser to take up the temporary role in March. Habba was given free rein to prosecute crimes in New Jersey. However, her time in the Justice Department was not without its controversies.

Habba’s office charged two New Jersey Democrats, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, for impeding federal immigration enforcement outside a detention facility in the state. Baraka was initially charged with trespassing, but those charges were quickly dropped after his arrest. The three charges against McIver remain, and she pleaded not guilty.

In dismissing the charges against Baraka, U.S. Magistrate Judge André Espinosa rebuked Habba for arresting and charging the mayor over the clash with federal immigration officers.

Trump nominated Habba to take the position permanently, but the nomination remains in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“In light of the smear campaign, it’s worth repeating: @USAttyHabba has the full confidence of DOJ leadership because she’s doing the job—aggressively, independently, and by the book. The district judges should not be swayed by political noise. Keep her in place,” Blanche said Monday.

Forbes noted:

The judges’ decision not to extend Habba’s term as U.S. attorney does not necessarily mean she’ll leave the office entirely. In Sarcone’s case, the Trump administration responded to judges rejecting his appointment by naming him as the “special attorney to the attorney general,” a role that officials said carries the same responsibilities as the U.S. attorney despite the different title. It remains to be seen if Habba could now receive a similar appointment in New Jersey, or a different role within the Trump administration.

Habba still faces a civil lawsuit from Baraka over his arrest, with the Newark mayor accusing the prosecutor of false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation in connection with her decision to arrest him and subsequent public comments justifying the charges. While Habba dropped the charges against Baraka, the government’s prosecution against McIver remains ongoing, and the Democratic lawmaker has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials.

 

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