DOJ Says Alina Habba’s Replacement as US Attorney for New Jersey Has Been Removed

Judges on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey had named Desiree Leigh Grace as Habba’s replacement.

Alina Habba speaks after being sworn in as interim U.S. attorney general for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House on March 28, 2025. AP

The Department of Justice removed the newly appointed U.S. attorney for New Jersey on July 22, accusing a panel of federal judges in the state of refusing, for political motives, to permanently appoint President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Alina Habba, as the top federal prosecutor.

Judges on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey named Desiree Leigh Grace, the second-highest-ranking official in the U.S. attorney’s office, to replace Habba on July 22 after her 120-day interim term ended.