The US Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, fired Desiree Leigh Grace, the newly appointed US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, shortly after she was picked by federal judges in the state over President Donald Trump's pick, Alina Habba.
Appointed the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey in March, the federal judges in New Jersey were set to potentially appoint Alina Habba as the NJ US Attorney on a permanent basis. However, they picked Desiree Leigh Grace, instead. But within hours of Grace being picked for the role, Pam Bondi's Justice Department intervened and annulled the appointment.
"This Department of Justice does not tolerate rogue judges -- especially when they threaten the President's core Article II powers," AG Bondi said in a statement on her X account.
Who Is Desiree Lee Grace?
Desiree Lee Grace was the First Assistant of Alina Habba when she served as the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. A veteran in the New Jersey courts, she has been serving as an attorney in the state for over 10 years. She started her career in New Jersey's Supreme Court in September 2012, as a Judicial Clerk in the office of then-Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, as per her LinkedIn profile.
{{/usCountry}}Desiree Lee Grace was the First Assistant of Alina Habba when she served as the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. A veteran in the New Jersey courts, she has been serving as an attorney in the state for over 10 years. She started her career in New Jersey's Supreme Court in September 2012, as a Judicial Clerk in the office of then-Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, as per her LinkedIn profile.
{{/usCountry}}After a two-year stint at a corporate law firm, she rejoined the New Jersey legal system as Judicial Clerk at the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Trenton, New Jersey. After a year, she started as Assistant US Attorney for Newark in 2016, and over the next nine years, held a number of different roles, including serving as the First Attorney since April 2025.
Grace was chosen by the federal judges after Alina Habba's 120-term expired, even as she awaits confirmation from the Senate. District judges have the power to name a US Attorney if the Presidential nominee is not vetoed by the Senate within 120 days.
However, the firing by the DOJ now means Grace will not be able to continue as the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. It is not yet clear if the Trump administration will now seek Senate confirmation for Habba and subsequently reappoint her.