President Donald Trump used an appointment maneuver to keep acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba in her post after federal judges in the state, most of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents, named someone else to replace her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Habba\u2019s 120-day temporary appointment was set to expire at midnight Friday evening, meaning she would have had to step down after the judges instead chose one of her assistants, Desiree Grace, to succeed her earlier this week. The Senate had yet to take up her nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But on Thursday, Trump withdrew her nomination to become the permanent U.S. attorney, according to a Justice Dept. official, and instead appointed her first assistant U.S. attorney, making her acting U.S. attorney again for the time being since that post is vacant, The Hill reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDonald J. Trump is the 47th President. Pam Bondi is the Attorney General. And I am now the Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey,\u201d Habba said in a statement posted<\/a> to the social platform X. \u201cI don\u2019t cower to pressure. I don\u2019t answer to politics. This is a fight for justice. And I\u2019m all in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace had previously declared she was ready to step into the role, escalating the standoff to a new level after Bondi fired her following the judges\u2019 decision to appoint her over Habba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace wrote on LinkedIn<\/a> earlier Thursday that she\u2019s honored by her appointment \u201con merit\u201d and is ready to take on the role \u201cin accordance with the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve served under both Republican and Democratic administrations,\u201d Grace wrote. \u201cI\u2019ve been promoted four times in the last five years by both \u2014 including four months ago by this administration. Politics never impacted my work at the Department. Priorities change, of course, and resources are shifted, but the work and the mission were steady.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n