The president’s former personal lawyer lashed out late Thursday, hours after US District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that she has been unlawfully performing her role after her initial 120-day term ran out last month — even though it was Trump’s wish for her to remain the Garden State’s interim US attorney.
“I am the pick of the president,” Habba asserted on Fox News’ “Hannity” Thursday night.
“I am the pick of Pam Bondi, our attorney general, and I will serve this country like I have for the last several years, in any capacity.”
The federal judges who voted last month to boot Habba from the post when her 120 days were up were mostly appointed by Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Brann was an Obama appointee.
Habba accused unidentified judges of being “activists” who have gone “rogue.”
“It’s disturbing, what we’re seeing,” she told “Hannity.”
“And Pam Bondi called it like it is. The attorney general said it today. We will not fall to rogue judges. We will not fall to people trying to be political when they should just be doing their job: respecting the president. And you can’t get rid of the president.”
Habba was initially only supposed to serve in her role for 120 days, However, she continued to serve as the state’s interim top attorney after Bondi fired Habba’s replacement, First Assistant US Attorney in New Jersey Desiree Leigh Grace.
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The first assistant attorney becomes acting US attorney if the position is vacant.
The DOJ said Trump withdrew Habba’s nomination to be the state’s permanent US attorney and that she was appointed first assistant US attorney — therefore replacing Grace, and allowing Habba to become acting US attorney of New Jersey.
However, Brann said Habba had no legal authority, ruling in favor of defendants — two alleged drug traffickers and a man accused of committing a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme — who sought to disqualify Habba from prosecuting their cases.
The DOJ said Trump withdrew Habba’s nomination to be the state’s permanent US attorney and that she was appointed first assistant US attorney — therefore replacing Grace, and allowing Habba to become acting US attorney of New Jersey.
“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Scranton, Pa.-based Brann wrote in a 77-page opinion.
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