A federal judge barred three lawyers chosen by the Trump administration to run the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, determining that their selection is in violation of federal law and the Constitution by assigning a stand-in prosecutor without Senate approval.
In a 130-page opinion issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann ruled that the “triumvirate” arrangement, which splits leadership between Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox, and Ari Fontecchio, goes beyond the attorney general’s authority and sidesteps the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
