Why Alina Habba is stepping down as the acting-US Attorney of New Jersey; explained
Alina Habba resigned as NJ’s acting attorney after a court ruled her appointment unlawful; AG Bondi called the ruling flawed. She will remain at DOJ as advisor.
Former attorney of Donald Trump, Alina Habba, has resigned as the acting Attorney of New Jersey, the Department of Justice announced on Monday. Her resignation comes after an appeals court ruled her appointment to the post unlawful. She announced her resignation in a post on X.
AG Pam Bondi said that the ruling by the Third Circuit court was "flawed" and that she and the DOJ will continue to fight it. Meanwhile, she announced that she will be joining the DOJ as an advisor.
"Following the flawed Third Circuit decision disqualifying Alina Habba from performing her duties in the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of New Jersey, I am saddened to accept Alina’s resignation," a statement from AG Bondi read.
Regarding Alina Habba's continuing role in the DOJ, AG Bondi said that Habba “will be continuing with the Department of Justice as Senior Advisor to the Attorney General for US Attorneys, helping drive the fight against violent crime nationwide.”
Habba, 41, also reacted to the news saying, "do not mistake compliance for surrender. “This decision will not weaken the Justice Department, and it will not weaken me.”
Why Did Alina Habba Resign? Court Ruling Explained
Alina Habba was appointed to serve as New Jersey's attorney general by President Trump in March 2025. Despite being a high-profile lawyer and acting as Trump's de facto legal spokesperson over the years of his legal troubles under the Biden administration, Alina's allegiance to Trump ensured that she was trusted with a top legal job in the state of New Jersey.
But what stood in her way was her limited experience appearing in court and almost zero experience as a prosecutor. Her term expired in July, and the two Democrat Senators in the Democratic-ruled states indicated that they would not vote for her confirmation in the role.
Also read: Who is Alina Habba's husband Gregg Reuben? All on Trump's lawyer's blended family
Meanwhile, a panel of federal judges removed her from the role and appointed one of her subordinates as a replacement. But Pam Bondi and the DOJ did not accept the decision and fired the replacement soon after, reappointing Habba in the role.
Then came the final blow. Earlier in December, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled that she was unlawfully serving in the role. it triggered her resignation on Monday, December 8.
