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2w ago

Federal Judges End Habba’s Interim Term, Install Desiree Leigh Grace in New Jersey

Judges declined to extend Alina Habba’s 120-day appointment, appointing her first assistant after concerns over her partisan management

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 28: White House Presidential Counselor Alina Habba delivers remarks before being sworn in as the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in the Oval Office at the White House on March 28, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Overview

  • A three-judge panel issued an order Tuesday ending Habba’s interim tenure and naming career prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
  • The decision cited Habba’s stalled Senate confirmation and opposition from Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, who withheld blue slips to block her nomination.
  • Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had publicly urged judges to keep Habba in place, but the court’s move marks a rare override of a presidential interim appointment.
  • Habba’s four-month term featured disbanding of the Civil Rights Division, abrupt dismissal of a long-running prosecution and charges against Democratic officials, actions that shattered morale.
  • With Grace stepping in, the office returns to traditional nonpartisan leadership while Habba’s permanent nomination remains stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.