President Donald Trump has selected his longtime legal counsel Alina Habba to serve as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Habba, who previously defended Trump in prominent cases including the E. Jean Carroll defamation suit and New York’s civil fraud trial, will now lead federal prosecutions in the state.
The appointment follows Habba’s contentious legal record. A federal judge in 2023 imposed $1 million in sanctions against Habba and Trump for pursuing a meritless lawsuit accusing Hillary Clinton and others of conspiring against Trump during the 2016 election probe. The penalty remains under appeal.
During her announcement, Habba took aim at New Jersey’s Democratic leadership, specifically targeting Senator Cory Booker and Governor Phil Murphy while alleging widespread corruption. “My focus will be pursuing actual criminals rather than political targets,” she stated, offering no further details.
This move continues Trump’s pattern of installing former personal attorneys in key Justice Department roles, raising fresh questions about potential conflicts of interest in federal law enforcement.
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