I am going to go out on a limb here. I think Alina Habba is not only out as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey (which is the case as of today due to a court ruling) I think she is going to be out for good. Yes, the Trump administration could appeal this ruling. That is a distinct possibility. But will they? I’m not sure they will because Pam Bondi’s justice department already has moved heaven and earth, firing people and doing all kinds of machinations to keep Habba in place. At what point does throwing your weight around begin to look simply demented and a fool’s errand? I think Habba has reached that point and Bondi will play her hand accordingly. Here’s where the story stands now.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Alina Habba, President Donald Trump’s acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, could not continue in her role.
In a 77-page ruling on Thursday, Brann noted that the Trump administration had used “a novel series of legal and personnel moves” to keep Habba in her position after a panel of judges effectively ousted her. Two defendants, Julien Giraud Jr. and Cesar Pina, argued that Habba could not oversee their prosecutions.
“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,” Brann wrote. “And because she is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity, she must be disqualified from participating in any ongoing cases.”
Brann, a Republican, voided Pina’s indictment because he said Habba took the action after being “unlawfully appointed” by Trump.
“I disqualify Ms. Habba from engaging in the prosecutions of the Girauds and Mr. Pina, and from supervising the same,” the judge wrote. “Any Assistant United States Attorney who prosecutes the Girauds or Mr. Pina under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba in violation of my Order is similarly subject to disqualification.”
Habba got on Fox News last time and argued that this is “lawfare” and the usual Deep State suspects are out to get her. But this ruling is by a judge who identifies as a part of the Republican party. So unless he, too, is a Deep State operative, it may actually be the case that Habba is not qualified for the job to which she was appointed and there’s no getting around that.
I think Bondi will fold on this and I think Trump will find something else for Habba to do. There must be an ambassadorship someplace that needs filling. That is honestly where I would look next. I don’t see Bondi wanting to keep this alive and if Habba has a lick of sense, why would she want her shortcomings and lack of qualifications to be harped upon publicly?
Or, maybe Trump will view this all as good distraction from Jeffrey Epstein and I don’t think that’s going to happen. Habba is too small of a fish to detract from the Epstein whale. Look for Alina to go bye bye instead — or become an ambassador someplace. That’s reality at this point.
So sad. Habba was only trying to make America groan again. I think it’s time for her to retire to some unknown town and try a new career in waitressing or some other endeavor; it seems certain that lawyering is not in her wheelhouse.
She is having problems with her license to practice in New Jersey as it is. There was some funny business with her persuading a former Trump Bedminster employee to sign something (it might have been an NDA — my memory isn’t clear right now.) Point being, Habba has some basic issues with her license, let alone the fact that New Jersey does not want her in that job. Both senators (Andy Kim and Cory Booker) did a thumbs down.
The only big issue now is whether Pam Bondi wants to continue to play games. I say no. I could be wrong, because Trump world is crazy, but with a totality of the facts, I say no.
If FEMA still has a presence in YAP (part of the Caroline Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia) Noem would be happy to send her there. ICE-Barbie wants to be MAGA’s ‘babe’ and you once posted a picture of Habba at the pool at Mar A Lago where if you ignore her face she did cut a nice figure.