Politics & Government
Trump Clears Path For Personal Attorney To Retake Top NJ Prosecutor Role
"I don't cower to pressure," Alina Habba said of her return.
President Donald Trump withdrew former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba's original nomination Thursday, which supporters say lets her regain the office after she was voted out.
Habba has been in a battle to regain her title as the state's top prosecutor after district judges ousted her on Tuesday in favor of the acting first assistant U.S. attorney, Desiree Leigh Grace. The longtime prosecutor was then fired just hours later in an announcement made by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday night.
According to CBS News, President Trump is now withdrawing Habba's initial appointment from March 24, allowing her to resume the role in an acting manner. The move bypasses a provision in federal law that prohibits a person from serving as an acting officer if the president has given their nomination to the Senate. She now is limited to a term of 210 days from when the vacancy became available.
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Habba took to X on Thursday, saying she and the president's administration aren't backing down and that she has reclaimed her role.
Habba's initial term of 120 days would put her last day at July 22, though Deputy Attorney General for the United States Todd Blanche says her role ends on July 25.
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"Their rush reveals what this was always about: a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law. When judges act like activists, they undermine confidence in our justice system," Blanche said of what he believes is a partisan effort to oust her.
On Wednesday, Grace voiced her intentions to assume the role as the state's top prosecutor after AG Bondi announced her firing just the night before, saying she is "prepared to follow that Order."
Bondi has said that the move to replace Habba is "politically minded" and an act of "rogue judges" looking to undermine the powers of the president. This comes after the order appointing Grace also did not specify any reasons as to why she was chosen as a replacement.
MORE FROM PATCH: Trump's Personal Attorney Out As NJ's Top Federal Prosecutor
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