Alina Habba resigns as U.S. attorney for New Jersey after court ruling

Alina Habba has resigned as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey after a federal appeals court ruled she was unlawfully serving in the position. Habba will remain at the Justice Department in an advisory role.

In a statement on Monday, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said she accepted Habba’s resignation following last week’s unanimous decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which disqualified Habba from performing her duties.

Bondi said the ruling made it “untenable” for Habba to continue leading the office, citing disruptions to ongoing prosecutions. She said Habba will now serve as senior advisor to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys.

Habba issued her own statement announcing her departure, saying she stepped down to protect the “stability and integrity” of the office. She criticized what she described as obstruction by judges in New Jersey and said she intends to return to the post if the ruling is reversed.

According to NPR, Habba first gained national attention as one of President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys following his first term. After Trump returned to the White House, he appointed her in March to serve as acting U.S. attorney on an interim basis and later nominated her for the permanent position.

Habba was not confirmed by the Senate, and the U.S. District Court for New Jersey appointed career prosecutor Desiree Grace instead as her interim successor. Attorney General Bondi later removed Grace from the position and the administration attempted a series of legal steps to reinstate Habba, prompting challenges that resulted in last week’s ruling from the Third Circuit.

Bondi said the Justice Department will pursue further review of the decision. Officials did not announce who will lead the office during the appeal process.