Alina Habba Forced To Resign After Judges Determine She Was Illegally Appointed

Alina Habba is stepping down from her role as the acting U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey, using her resignation statement to attack the appeals court that determined she’s been serving unlawfully.

Habba was never confirmed to the position by the Senate; instead, President Donald Trump appointed her through legally dubious means. Habba was Trump’s personal attorney before the appointment and has extremely limited experience in the federal courts.

“As a result of the Third Circuit’s ruling, and to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love, I have decided to step down in my role as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey,” Habba said in a statement Monday.

Habba said she plans to remain at the Justice Department as a senior adviser. In that capacity, she said, “My fight will now stretch across the country.”

Habba’s temporary term as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey expired in July.

A panel of federal judges appointed Habba’s next-in-line, an experienced prosecutor, to fill the role, only to have Attorney General Pam Bondi fire her hours later. Habba then announced herself as the acting attorney for New Jersey once more.

A federal appeals court earlier this month determined the Trump administration’s actions were illegal and that Habba was, indeed, unqualified for the role, forcing her resignation Monday.