A U.S. appeals court has ruled that Alina Habba, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, was unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor for New Jersey. This decision may impact numerous criminal cases within the state.
President Trump had selected Habba for the U.S. Attorney role earlier this year. Following the rejection of her nomination by a district court, the Trump administration assigned her to a position enabling her to act on an interim basis.
On Monday, appellate judges determined that this appointment procedure, which bypassed confirmation by the U.S. Senate, violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
This disqualification marks the second instance in recent weeks of a prosecutor appointed by the Trump administration being removed from their role.