Trump loyalist Habba out as top NJ attorney after losing appeal

Federal Judge Upholds Disqualification of Trump-Loyalist Alina Habba as Acting NJ Attorney

A panel of judges on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the disqualification of Alina Habba, a loyalist to former President Donald Trump, from serving as acting US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The ruling comes after Habba's appointment by Trump was deemed unlawful due to a lack of congressional approval.

Habba had taken over as acting attorney general in 2022, following her tenure as Trump's personal attorney. However, her appointment was marred by controversy when three people being prosecuted by her in New Jersey filed a lawsuit arguing that she was serving illegally and should be disqualified. A lower court judge ultimately agreed with them, ruling that Habba's appointment circumvented congressional approval.

In the latest development, the appeals court has upheld this ruling, finding that Habba's appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The decision marks another blow to Trump loyalists in high-profile government positions.

It appears that the Trump administration's struggles to appoint top attorneys have been a recurring theme throughout its second term. As one judge noted, "it is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place."

The case highlights concerns over the independence and impartiality of US Attorneys. In a joint statement, New Jersey Democratic Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker criticized the Trump administration's actions on behalf of Habba, saying that US attorneys should be "installed consistent with the rule of law, not because of their political loyalty or through political maneuvering."

I'm low-key relieved about this one . It just goes to show that some people can't just swoop in and take jobs without following the rules . I mean, think about it, if someone can just be appointed to a high-profile position like acting US Attorney without going through the right channels, what's next? It's all about checks and balances, folks . The fact that this judge upheld the ruling is a win for accountability and makes me think we're moving in the right direction . And let's be real, it's about time someone called out those Trump loyalists who thought they could just waltz in and start making decisions without any oversight .

can you believe this is what's going down in the US? like alina habba thinks she can just swoop in and be acting NJ attorney without anyone even blinking? meanwhile new jersey democrats are all over it, saying that us attorneys should be about justice not politics. it's wild how much drama these people make for themselves. i'm actually kinda glad the appeals court upheld the ruling lol

still can't believe these guys think they can just hand out acting jobs willy-nilly... like it's some kinda game. Newsflash: being a lawyer doesn't mean you get to ignore the rules. And btw, if Trump's crew is having so much trouble finding suitable people, maybe that's not because of their qualifications, but because they're not exactly known for their integrity .

just heard about this ruling and I gotta say... it's about time someone brought Alina Habba down! She's been a thorn in the side of everyone who cares about following the rules. I mean, can you believe she thought she could just swoop in and take over as acting NJ Attorney without getting the approval of Congress? That's some serious power grab right there.

And now that the appeals court has ruled in favor of the Democrats, it's clear that Trump loyalists like Habba are not above the law. I love how one of the judges said that this administration is "frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers" - yeah, that's a nice way of saying they can't get away with their shenanigans!

This whole thing just goes to show that our system of checks and balances is still working, even if it doesn't always look pretty. And hey, at least we got some good news out of this: US attorneys are supposed to be independent and impartial, not beholden to the whims of a particular politician. That's what we need more of in government!

I'm not surprised by this ruling, to be honest. It seems like a straightforward application of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, and the appeals court did the right thing in upholding it. The issue here isn't about partisanship, but about following the rules of governance.

The Trump administration's struggles to appoint top officials have been well-documented at this point, and it's clear that they're not interested in playing by the same rules as everyone else. This is a classic example of what happens when you try to bypass the system – eventually, the system bites back.

It's interesting to note how this case affects the independence of US Attorneys. The fact that Alina Habba was serving as acting attorney general without proper congressional approval raises serious questions about her impartiality. In a democracy like ours, the rule of law is supposed to be above politics – and it looks like this court has reinforced that principle.

So, I was thinking... if Alina Habba's appointment was deemed unlawful due to a lack of congressional approval, and now the appeals court has upheld this ruling, that means her appointment is effectively nullified. But what's wild is how this case highlights the ongoing struggles of Trump loyalists trying to get top attorneys appointed. It's like they're stuck in some kind of bureaucratic limbo!

According to a study from 2022, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act has been implemented successfully over 90% of the time since its passage in 1998. Meanwhile, Trump loyalists have had a significantly lower success rate when it comes to getting top attorneys appointed. Maybe this case is a sign that they need to get their act together?

Did you know that the average tenure for a US Attorney is around 2-3 years? So, with Habba's appointment being effectively nullified, that means another position in NJ will have to be filled ASAP. How will this affect the district court's workload and case load?

omg yea i cant believe this lol so its like habba was trying to get ahead by being all loyal to trump and now shes getting thrown out anyway its super sus when ppl try to sneak around the law like that. i mean, didnt they know theres a thing called "congressional approval" or watever? its not like habba was trying to solve world hunger or anything, just some lowkey shady stuff. and now theres all these questions about whether US attorneys should be more impartial... idk, its kinda cool that the law is on the side of democracy but also kinda sad that ppl have to fight so hard for it

I mean, can you believe this? Another one bites the dust! It's like Trump's people just can't seem to get their act together when it comes to appointments. Like, what even is the point of trying if you're just gonna end up with a lawsuit on your hands?

And honestly, I'm not surprised that the appeals court upheld the ruling. I mean, it's not like Habba was exactly swimming in popularity or anything. The whole thing feels like a big mess, and it's only getting more tangled.

But you know what really gets my goat? Those senators who are all like "US attorneys should be installed consistent with the rule of law". Like, duh! That's not exactly rocket science, is it? It's just basic common sense. Can't we all just get along and follow the rules for once?

so much drama in NJ politics right now. I mean, it's like they're trying to test how far Trump's influence can reach in the government. Alina Habba just can't catch a break, huh? her appointment was always sketchy from the start and now it's official - she's out of a job.

I'm kinda surprised that this is still making headlines years later, but I guess you'd expect controversy to stick around when there are so many people invested in it. The fact that it took a federal judge to finally put an end to it just goes to show how important those kinds of checks and balances are in our government.

It's interesting to see how this whole thing is being framed as a battle for the independence of US Attorneys. I mean, we want them to be impartial and serve the people, not just whoever is currently in power. That's why these cases are so crucial - they set a precedent for future appointees.

omg this is soooooooo ridiculous! Alina Habba was like trying to sneak in a Trump loyalist without anyone even checking if she was legit i mean, whats the point of even having a congress if they cant do their job rn?

i feel bad for the ppl being prosecuted by her tho they were just trying to get justice or watever. and now this judge is all like "yup ur right habba wasnt supposed 2 b there"

this case is soooo important cuz its about the rule of law and stuff US Attorneys r supposed 2 be impartial not just some puppets of the admin

anywayz, it seems like this is another win 4 the Dems in NJ now can we pls move on from all the drama and get back to actual gov biz

This ruling is a step in the right direction for our country, but I gotta say, it's kinda weird how this case started. Like, who appoints someone to be acting Attorney General without even going through the proper channels? It's like they just wanted to get their guy in there ASAP and didn't care about the rules.

And can we talk about the fact that Alina Habba was basically Trump's personal attorney before she became Acting AG? Like, what's next? Is he gonna appoint his favorite YouTube personality as Secretary of Defense? It's like, I get it, Trump wants to surround himself with loyalists, but come on, that's not how the system is supposed to work.

It's also pretty sad that this whole thing had to go all the way to court. I mean, shouldn't we just trust our elected officials to do their jobs? But I guess that's not always the case when you're dealing with people who are more interested in advancing their own agendas than following the law.

Anyway, this ruling is a win for democracy and all that jazz. Let's hope it sets a precedent for future appointments and we don't see too many more of these kinds of shenanigans.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

I think this is a huge win for the rule of law in NJ. It's clear that Habba's appointment was more about politics than public service. The whole thing reeks of backroom deals and favoritism. Can't say I'm surprised given Trump's history with appointing sycophants to key positions. This ruling should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks they can play by their own rules in DC.

I think it's cool that there's a judge who's not afraid to take on Trump loyalists . Alina Habba's appointment was shady from the start and I'm glad she got disqualified . It's like, US Attorneys are supposed to be all about justice and fairness, not just pleasing their buddies . The fact that the court is keeping an eye on this stuff means we can trust that the system is working as it should ️. Trump might try to appoint people who are loyal only to him, but we need US Attorneys who care about the law and serving the people .

just heard about this and its like wow the whole thing is so messed up. i mean alina habba just got shut down for trying to sneak in her guy trump's loyalist into a super important government job without even asking congress for permission. like what kind of power play is that?

anyway, its not really surprising to me either. i mean we've been seeing all this drama with trump and his people trying to get their way in the government for years now. its just gotten to a point where you gotta wonder if they even care about following the law anymore.

i do think its cool that some ppl are speaking out against habba's appointment tho. like senator kim and booker were right on point when they said us attorneys should be installed with integrity, not because of their political loyalty or through some sneaky backroom deal.

anyway, im just glad this is getting more attention now. maybe we can start to see some real changes happen in washington.

omg u wont believe wut just happnd!!! so theres this lady Alina habba who was appointed by trump to be acting nj attorney but like literally no 1 thought thru and she didnt even get congural approval lol!!! then these ppl being prosecuted by her in nj filed a lawsuit and it turns out shes been doin it illegally and the lower court judge agreed w/ them

anywayz the appeals court just upheld this ruling and its like another nail in the coffin for trump loyalists so now u got us attornies who r supposed to be impartial but are like actually doing the presidents bidding which is super sketchy idk what's goin on w/ the fed vacancies reform act but i guess its important 2 know

Yaaassss this is like a huge win for equality and fairness in our justice system Alina Habba's appointment was all about politics over people, and it's so refreshing to see the courts step in and correct that I'm loving how the judges are holding Trump loyalists accountable for their actions It's crazy to think that some people can just ignore the law and do what they want because of a presidential wink but not today, folks! The fact that NJ Senators Kim and Booker are speaking out against this kind of behavior is everything we need more leaders who value integrity over politics

I'm all for accountability in government, you know? It's sick how Alina Habba was just trying to do her job as acting NJ Attorney but ended up getting caught in the middle of Trump's drama . And can we talk about the importance of having a strong check on power? If the Trump administration is really struggling to get top attorneys appointed, that says something about their approach to governance . It's like they're trying to stack the deck instead of letting qualified people do their job . The fact that three people in New Jersey were able to take action and bring Habba down just goes to show that everyday citizens can make a difference when they speak up . Anyway, kudos to those NJ Senators who are holding Trump loyalists accountable .

Just saw this news and I'm like . I mean, come on! Can't they just follow the rules? This is what happens when you have a president who thinks he's above the law... or in this case, above the Federal Vacancies Reform Act . I don't get why it took an appeals court to tell them that appointing someone without congressional approval was a bad idea . And now Habba's disqualification is final . This just goes to show how hard it is for Trump loyalists to get their acts together in government positions . The Democrats are right, of course - US attorneys should be chosen based on qualifications and fairness, not political loyalty . It's time for some accountability!

I'm kinda surprised the appeals court upheld this ruling . It feels like another hurdle for Trump's loyalists to get around in this new administration . This whole thing just goes to show how much power and influence can be wielded by a single individual, especially when it comes to appointing officials who share their ideology . I think this sets a precedent that could impact future appointments and the independence of US Attorneys . Still, gotta give credit where credit is due – the judiciary's been doing its job to hold those in power accountable .