U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has resigned after an appeals court ruled that her appointment was invalid.
Habba previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney and represented him in several civil matters, including the New York civil fraud case. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement announcing Habba’s resignation.
“Following the flawed Third Circuit decision disqualifying Alina Habba from performing her duties in the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of New Jersey, I am saddened to accept Alina’s resignation,” Bondi wrote.
The attorney general explained that a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling determining that Habba was unlawfully serving in her position “made it untenable for her to effectively run her office, with politicized judges pausing trials designed to bring violent criminals to justice.”
Bondi further argued that “These judges should not be able to countermand the President’s choice of attorneys entrusted with carrying out the executive branch’s core responsibility of prosecuting crime.”
However, the battle might not be over. Bondi noted that the Justice Department “will seek further review of this decision, and we are confident it will be reversed.” If this happens, Habba will return to her position.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) December 8, 2025
Habba released a statement on X confirming her resignation. She touted her record, saying that Camden, New Jersey “had its first murder-free summer in 50 years” and that her team “drove down crime, took violent offenders off the streets, caught terrorists, and put away child predators.”
She stated that “judges in my state took advantage of a flawed blue slip tradition and became weapons for the politicized left” and “stopped conducting trials and entering sentences, leaving violent criminals on the streets.”
The “blue slip” tradition refers to a practice in which a state’s senators can prevent a potential nominee from their state from going through the Senate confirmation process. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim blocked Habba from a confirmation hearing.
“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 wrote.
— Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) December 8, 2025
The appeals court issued its ruling in November after a lengthy legal battle. It was decided that Habba’s appointment violated federal laws, which mandate that when an interim U.S. attorney’s three-month term expires, it is up to the district courts to appoint a replacement. Instead, Bondi re-appointed Habba to the position after her term expired.
When a lower court ruled that Habba’s continued role was unlawful, the Department of Justice gave her a series of other titles to avoid the rule. However, the appeals court rejected this move. The ruling puts Habba’s past prosecutorial decisions into question. Those prosecuted after Habba’s term expired could argue in court that she lacked the authority to prosecute their cases.
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