Bondi Fires First Replacement After Judges Reject Habba Appointment
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Bondi Fires First Replacement After Judges Reject Habba Appointment
Pam Bondi fired the first assistant U.S. attorney for New Jersey. A panel of federal judges blocked Alina Habba from continuing as the state’s top federal prosecutor. The panel’s rejection of Habba, former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, dealt a rare check to Bondi’s controversial reshaping of the Justice Department. Bondi has already removed over 20 DOJ officials since taking office, including career ethics staff and special counsel veterans. Last week, she ousted Joseph Tirrell, director of the Departmental Ethics Office, and prominent prosecutor Maurene Comey.
In a display of executive defiance, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the first assistant U.S. attorney for New Jersey — just hours after a panel of federal judges blocked Alina Habba from continuing as the state’s top federal prosecutor.
The panel’s rejection of Habba, former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, dealt a rare check to Bondi’s controversial reshaping of the Justice Department.
While judges don’t typically weigh in on U.S. attorney appointments, federal law gives them limited authority to do so in rare cases. If the attorney general’s interim appointment expires without Senate confirmation, a district court panel can appoint a replacement. That’s what happened here — the judges chose not to extend Habba’s tenure after her 120 day interim appointment expired on July 22.
Rather than accept the automatic elevation of the first assistant U.S. attorney, which is standard DOJ protocol when no confirmed leader is in place, Bondi swiftly fired that official.
“Politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position, replacing Alina with the First Assistant,” Bondi posted on social media. “This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers.”
Under federal law, U.S. attorney vacancies are typically filled on an interim basis by the first assistant unless or until the president formally nominates a replacement.
Habba, a staunch Trump loyalist, had faced criticism for politicizing prosecutions and undermining long-standing norms of independence.
During her brief tenure as acting U.S. attorney, Habba brought high-profile charges against Democratic officials including assault charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. She also launched investigations into the Democratic governor and attorney general of New Jersey.
Bondi has already removed over 20 DOJ officials since taking office, including career ethics staff and special counsel veterans. Last week, she ousted Joseph Tirrell, director of the Departmental Ethics Office, as well as prominent prosecutor Maurene Comey.
The New Jersey federal judges’ panel has not issued a formal response to Bondi’s action.