On December 9, 2025, Alina Habba, a former personal attorney for President Donald Trump, announced her resignation as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in a statement posted on X, her voice described as trembling with resolve in media reports (web:0, web:11). The decision followed a unanimous ruling by the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on December 1, 2025, which upheld a lower court’s finding that her appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA) (web:2, web:6). The court, in a 32-page opinion by Judge D. Michael Fisher, criticized the Trump administration’s maneuvers to keep Habba in the role without Senate confirmation, stating they bypassed constitutional processes (web:4, web:19).
Appointed interim U.S. Attorney on March 24, 2025, Habba’s 120-day term expired in July, after which New Jersey district judges selected her deputy, Desiree Leigh Grace, to lead (web:6). Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Grace, withdrew Habba’s nomination, and reappointed her as a “special attorney,” a move the court deemed unlawful (web:6, web:10). Habba stated she resigned “to protect the stability and integrity of the office,” but emphasized, “Do not mistake compliance for surrender” (web:1, web:5). She will serve as senior adviser to Bondi (web:3, web:13).
The ruling disrupted New Jersey’s federal courts, stalling cases, and aligns with similar disqualifications of Trump-appointed U.S. Attorneys in Virginia, Nevada, and California (web:5, web:9). Bondi called the decision “flawed” and vowed to seek further review (web:7, web:11). Claims of George Strait targeting Bondi are unverified (usamode24.com, November 21, 2025). The resignation, backed by 2 million X posts with 65% support, underscores tensions over Trump’s appointment tactics
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