Judges on the U.S. District Court of New Jersey have declined to retain President Trump’s pick for the state’s top federal prosecutor, Alina Habba, as the clock on her interim status runs out.
In a terse standing order, the court tapped attorney Desiree Leigh Grace to lead the office hours before the expiration of Habba’s 120-day temporary term. The appointment is effective as of Tuesday, says the order signed by U.S. District Judge Renée Bumb, the district’s chief judge.
Habba, who previously served as a personal lawyer for Trump, assumed the role in March. Her profile as a staunch defender of the president in the courtroom and the press was raised while representing him in his business fraud case and the defamation and sexual assault lawsuits brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
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Early in her interim term, her leadership came under scrutiny following the arrests and charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) stemming from an incident at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility
Though a trespass count against Baraka was dropped, McIver is still fighting her criminal charges in court. She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of “assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering” with federal officers.
At a hearing dismissing Baraka’s charge, a federal judge said the arrest suggested a “worrisome misstep” by the office, noting the “apparent rush” in bringing the case that culminated in the government’s “embarrassing” retraction of the charge. Baraka has sued Habba for damages over his arrest.
Despite that, high-ranking Justice Department officials imparted trust in her ability to run the office.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a post to X that Habba brought “steady leadership and sound judgment” as interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. He said she has the “full confidence”
“District judges should use their authority to keep her in place,” he said.
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A New Jersey native and first-generation American, Habba became part of Trump’s orbit by representing him in a defamation lawsuit brought by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos, who later dropped the case.
Most recently, she worked in the White House as a counselor to the president and, before that, as Trump’s legal spokesperson and a senior adviser to his campaign.
