OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:26 PM – Tuesday, July 22, 2025
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who leads the Department of Justice (DOJ), dismissed a federal prosecutor on Tuesday who had been selected by New Jersey’s federal judges to succeed interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, a former personal lawyer and close confidante of President Donald Trump.
In a statement on X, Bondi praised Habba for “doing a great job making New Jersey safe again,” while also criticizing the state’s “politically motivated judges,” whom she says have blocked Habba’s continuation in the role.
Desiree Leigh Grace was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey under an order signed Tuesday by Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb.
Federal judges in New Jersey used § 546(d) to appoint Grace. § 546(d) refers to 28 U.S. Code § 546(d), which pertains to the appointment of United States Attorneys. Specifically, it addresses the situation where a vacancy exists in the office of a U.S. Attorney and how that vacancy is filled on an interim basis.
The attorney general can appoint anyone they wish to fill the vacancy, but that appointment can be limited by a subsequent appointment made by the district court.
Meanwhile, the recent order indicates that the court declined to extend Alina Habba’s interim appointment, which was set to expire after its 120-day term. Habba, a Trump appointee, had been named to the position on March 24th and was formally sworn in on March 28th.
Bondi announced that Grace had “just been removed” by the DOJ and emphasized that the “Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges — especially when they threaten the President’s core Article II powers.”
A source who reached out to NBC News claimed that the GOP administration intends to reinstate Habba in the role in some capacity — mirroring its approach with the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York — though no specific mechanism for doing so has yet been determined, they added.
Additionally, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on X earlier on Tuesday that Habba’s term does not officially expire until Friday, emphasizing that the “rush” to replace her “reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law.”
Blanche continued, expressing that Habba “has the full confidence of DOJ leadership because she’s doing the job, aggressively, independently, and by the book” — adding “district judges should not be swayed by political noise.”
During her tenure, Habba made frequent media appearances and brought charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) following a physical altercation with law enforcement at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark in May.
A federal grand jury subsequently indicted McIver on three counts, to which she pleaded not guilty.
President Trump has nominated Alina Habba for permanent appointment to the position. However, her nomination has yet to advance out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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