{"id":2518868,"date":"2025-12-08T15:57:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T20:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alina-habba-resigns-as-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T15:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T20:58:39","slug":"alina-habba-resigns-as-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alina-habba-resigns-as-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Alina Habba resigns as acting US attorney for New Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Falina-habba-resigns-as-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2518868&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Alina Habba, formerly one of former President Donald TrumpS personal lawyers, resigned on Monday as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey following a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-appeals-court-clears-bidens-covid-vax-mandate-for-federal-employees\/\" title=\"U.S. Appeals Court Clears Biden\u2019s COVID Vax Mandate for Federal Employees\">federal appeals court ruling<\/a> that she had been serving unlawfully. The court found that Habba&#8217;s continued service after her acting term expired violated federal law, as it bypassed the constitutional requirement for Senate confirmation. Her resignation ends months of legal uncertainty in one of the most vulnerable Trump-appointed U.S. attorney offices. Habba stated that her stepping down was to preserve the stability and integrity of the office, emphasizing that her exit was not a defeat.<\/p>\n<p>following her resignation, the Justice Department announced a new leadership structure for the New Jersey district, appointing Philip Lamparello as senior counsel over the Criminal and Special Prosecutions Divisions, Jordan Fox to oversee the Civil and Appellate Divisions, and Ari Fontecchio as executive assistant U.S. attorney. DOJ officials expressed confidence in the new <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >leadership amid ongoing personnel restructuring<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The appeals court ruling criticized the Trump administration&#8217;s tactic of using temporary designations to keep Habba in office indefinitely without Senate approval.Similar rulings have affected other Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys in Virginia, Nevada, and California. The New Jersey office had already faced operational challenges, including paused legal proceedings and uncertainty over legitimate authority. Habba, who identified strongly with New Jersey, will now serve as a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who indicated the DOJ would seek further review of the court&#8217;s decision and hopes for Habba&#8217;s return if the ruling is overturned.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba resigns as acting US attorney for New Jersey<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2420413\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Alina Habba resigned Monday as acting U.S. attorney for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\">New Jersey<\/a> after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/second-amendment-activists-prevail-in-federal-court\/\" title=\"Second Amendment Activists Prevail in Federal Court\u00a0\">federal appeals court ruled<\/a> she had been serving unlawfully, ending months of uncertainty inside one of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration&rsquo;s<\/a> most legally vulnerable U.S. attorneys&rsquo; offices.<\/p>\n<p>Habba, formerly one of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> personal lawyers and a fierce public defender of the president, said she stepped aside to protect &ldquo;the stability and integrity of the office which I love,&rdquo; though she insisted her exit should not be seen as a retreat. &ldquo;Do not mistake compliance for surrender,&rdquo; she wrote on X.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3909769\/judge-blocks-doj-using-former-comey-lawyer-data\/\">Judge blocks DOJ from using former Comey lawyer&#8217;s computer data and emails<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3909210\/jan-6-bomb-suspects-arrest-exposes-holes-in-fbis-story-about-cell-phone-data\/\">Jan. 6 bomb suspect&#8217;s arrest exposes holes in FBI&rsquo;s story about cellphone data<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3909078\/dc-appeals-court-trump-remove-democratic-appointees-independent-agencies\/\">DC appeals court sides with Trump on removing Democratic appointees from independent agencies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wIhEvXXZoh\">pic.twitter.com\/wIhEvXXZoh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlinaHabba\/status\/1998101999024550125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p>Within minutes of her announcement, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\">Justice Department<\/a> laid out a new leadership structure for the district.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Philip Lamparello, who has been at the office since September, will now serve as senior counsel with authority over the Criminal Division and Special Prosecutions Division, including work handled in the district&rsquo;s branch offices.<\/p>\n<p>Jordan Fox, designated as a special attorney, will oversee the Civil Division and Appellate Division and handle any additional matters that arise in the district. Ari Fontecchio will take on the role of executive assistant U.S. attorney and manage the Administrative Division, as well as other administrative responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche, also a former personal attorney to Trump, said he has &ldquo;full confidence in each of these exceptional attorneys&rdquo; and framed the moves as part of the DOJ&rsquo;s commitment to &ldquo;bring in the best and brightest&rdquo; as the department continues its broader personnel restructuring.<\/p>\n<p>Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\">Pam Bondi<\/a> added separately that DOJ will still seek further review of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3902396\/appeals-court-alina-habba-unlawfully-served-new-jersey-prosecutor\/\">the appeals court ruling from last week<\/a> and that Habba would return as U.S. attorney if the decision is reversed. Habba will now serve as a senior adviser to Bondi.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Counselor to the President Alina Habba speaks to reporters outside the West Wing at the White House, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-ruling-that-forced-her-out\">The ruling that forced her out<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit&rsquo;s decision last week marked a direct rebuke of the administration&rsquo;s attempts to keep Habba in office through a chain of temporary designations after her earlier acting term expired. The judges found the maneuver violated federal law and would effectively allow a presidential appointee to serve indefinitely without <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\">Senate<\/a> confirmation, undercutting the constitutional appointment process.<\/p>\n<p>While Habba is the first to resign following such a ruling, she is far from the only Trump-installed U.S. attorney found to be accused of serving unlawfully. Courts in Virginia, Nevada, and the Central District of California have issued similar decisions. In Virginia, the finding invalidated interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan&rsquo;s authority to bring cases against former FBI Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comey\/\">James Comey<\/a> and New York Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/letitia-james\/\">Letitia James<\/a>, resulting in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3897002\/james-comey-letitia-james-indictments-tossed-lindsey-halligan\/\">both indictments being thrown out.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-operational-fallout-in-new-jersey\">Operational fallout in New Jersey<\/h2>\n<p>The New Jersey office has been operating under strain for months. After Habba&rsquo;s appointment was first challenged this summer, judges paused sentencings, plea agreements, and upcoming trials until DOJ provided clarity on who had lawful authority to sign filings. The department eventually resumed casework by adding Blanche&rsquo;s signature alongside Habba&rsquo;s, a stopgap approach that kept prosecutions moving even as the legal fight played out.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3902396\/appeals-court-alina-habba-unlawfully-served-new-jersey-prosecutor\/\">APPEALS COURT FINDS ALINA HABBA UNLAWFULLY SERVED AS TOP NEW JERSEY PROSECUTOR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Habba acknowledged the uncertainty over the weekend at the Kennedy Center Honors, calling the situation &ldquo;a big problem&rdquo; that affected &ldquo;all sides of the coin and justice,&rdquo; and said the office would be &ldquo;making an announcement soon,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/08\/politics\/alina-habba-resigns-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey\">according<\/a> to CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Habba ended her statement on Monday with a nod to her roots in the Garden State. &ldquo;Make no mistake, you can take the girl out of New Jersey but you cannot take New Jersey out of the girl.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ex-Trump lawyer Alina Habba resigns as NJ acting US attorney<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2518869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25335512384325.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[68448,33520,33096,6522,33577],"class_list":["post-2518868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-acting-attorney","tag-alina-habba","tag-new-jersey","tag-resignation","tag-us-attorney"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25335512384325.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2518868"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2518872,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518868\/revisions\/2518872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2518869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2518868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2518868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2518868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}