Alina Habba resigns as acting U.S. attorney after disqualification
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Alina Habba attends the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on Dec. 7 in Washington, DC. Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
President Trump's former personal lawyer Alina Habba stepped down as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey on Monday.
Why it matters: Habba was recently disqualified from the role after an appeals court found that she was serving unlawfully.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X the Justice Department will seek further review of the ruling and is "confident" the decision will be reversed.
What they're saying: Habba said Monday she will continue to serve as Bondi's senior adviser for U.S. attorneys.
- "Do not mistake compliance for surrender," she wrote on X. "This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me."
- President Trump used a roundtable Monday to blast the Senate's "blue slip" tradition, arguing it makes it "impossible" for him to appoint U.S. attorneys in states with Democratic senators.
- "It makes it impossible to appoint a judge or U.S. attorney," he said. "And the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves, that they allow this to go on because I can't appoint a U.S. attorney that's not a Democrat."
Catch up quick: Habba was appointed acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March and was nominated by Trump for the permanent post in June.
- Trump officially withdrew Habba's nomination on July 24 after the Senate failed to act on the selection.
- That same day, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Habba as a special attorney to conduct "any kind of legal proceedings ... which United States Attorneys are authorized to conduct."
- In August, a federal judge ruled that Habba had been serving without legal authority for two months, making any actions she took after July 1 void.
Of note: Habba was Trump's first U.S. attorney appointment to face legal scrutiny, though three others have since been found to be serving unlawfully as well.
What we're watching: It's unclear who will replace Habba following her resignation.
- Clare Slattery, a spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Axios the Supreme Court may want to weigh in on the ruling.
- "The Chairman wants President Trump's nominees to succeed in the Senate," she added. "U.S. Attorney and district judge nominees without blue slips don't have the votes to get through committee or pass on the Senate floor."
Go deeper: Appeals court disqualifies Alina Habba as U.S. attorney for New Jersey
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details and context.
