Overview

• U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann ruled last week that Alina Habba has not lawfully held the New Jersey U.S. attorney post since July 1, but he stayed the order pending appeal.
• When her interim term expired, New Jersey judges appointed her deputy under federal law, after which Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the appointee and reinstalled Habba as acting U.S. attorney.
• On Fox News, Habba alleged federal judges had a plan against her and provided no evidence, and she argued judges lack authority to appoint a U.S. attorney.
• She rebuked Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Thom Tillis over the blue‑slip tradition, as Grassley has kept her nomination from advancing without blue slips from New Jersey’s senators and Tillis has said he would block her.
• Habba defended prosecutions from her tenure, including the indictment of Rep. LaMonica McIver, who has pleaded not guilty and called the case political after a related Newark episode involving Mayor Ras Baraka was dropped.