Trump’s former lawyer Alina Habba is once again having to battle the justice system for the right to be U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
On Thursday, a judge ruled that Habba had been “unlawfully” acting as the U.S. attorney despite being appointed by President Donald J. Trump to perform the duties of the job.
The legal conflict originated when a panel of judges decided that Habba could no longer serve as Acting U.S. Attorney in the federal district, spurring President Trump to pull a maneuver whereby her replacement was fired and he reappointed her.
Judge Matthew Brann, an Obama appointee sitting in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, issued a 77-page order finding that Habba has been “without lawful authority” to serve since July 1. The decision came after criminal defendants in New Jersey challenged her appointment, arguing it violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
