Federal judges in New Jersey invoked their power to remove interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, installing her top assistant as the top federal prosecutor — but hours later, the Trump administration responded by ousting Habba's deputy, longtime prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace (article available here).
An appointee can lead a U.S. attorney's office for up to 120 days pending Senate confirmation. Habba, Trump's former personal attorney with no prosecution experience, was not formally nominated for the role until July 1 and has not been confirmed.
White House spokesperson said that the president has full confidence in Habba and that the administration would work to get her confirmed by the U.S. Senate, despite opposition from New Jersey’s two senators.
New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, condemned Grace's removal.
"The firing of a career public servant, lawfully appointed by the court, is another blatant attempt to intimidate anyone that doesn't agree with them and undermine judicial independence," the two senators wrote in a joint statement.
The situation in the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office mirrors in some ways a leadership crisis in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.