Alina Habba Disqualified as New Jersey Prosecutor
Appeals court disqualifies ex-Trump lawyer Alina Habba as New Jersey prosecutor
A US appeals court has decided that President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, has been improperly functioning as top federal prosecutor for New Jersey - in a verdict that may affect scores of criminal prosecutions in the state.
Habba was hand-picked by the president to be the US attorney this year, but her candidacy was denied by a district court. As a result, the Trump administration placed her in a position that permitted her to serve as an acting attorney.
The appeal judges decided on Monday that this strategy, which circumvented approval by the US Senate, violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Habba is the second Trump-appointed prosecutor to be disqualified in recent weeks.
Judge Michael Fisher, one of the appellate judges, stated in the decision that disqualified Habba on Monday that "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 White House, the Department of Justice, and Habba's office have all been approached by the BBC for comment.
The decision might compel the justice department to appoint a new prosecutor to oversee federal criminal proceedings in New Jersey.
The appellate court's ruling came after three individuals facing criminal charges in New Jersey argued that the prosecutor's appointment was not lawful, the BBC's US partner CBS News said.
As a result, in August, a federal judge decided in their favour. That order had been on hold while the appeals court wieghed the matter.
Last week, a federal judge dismissed criminal cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, citing Lindsey Halligan's illegal appointment as an interim US attorney in Virginia.
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