Trump Disregards Orders from Federal Judges to Install His Personal Lawyer in a Significant Position of Power
The Trump administration has been accused of employing a series of legal maneuvers to manipulate the appointment of interim U.S. attorneys, with Alina Habba, a former personal attorney for Trump, serving as a prime example.
Habba's 120-day interim appointment as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey expired without Senate confirmation. In response, a panel of federal district judges appointed Desiree Leigh Grace as the new interim U.S. Attorney, a move historically rare and intended to uphold prosecutorial independence.
However, the Trump administration responded by firing Grace and withdrawing Habba’s nomination to prevent Senate confirmation from rejecting her outright. Using the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, the administration appointed Habba to a new temporary role, bypassing Senate scrutiny and circumventing the judges' appointment.
Critics argue that these moves undermine the independence of the judiciary and the prosecutorial offices by defying federal district court decisions, exploiting legal loopholes, and using administrative actions to maintain political loyalists in powerful prosecutorial posts despite lacking Senate approval.
The case of Alina Habba is not isolated. John Sarcone, another unconfirmed pick by Trump to serve as the interim attorney for the Northern District of New York, was named by the Justice Department as special attorney to Bondi when he couldn't be confirmed.
The standoff reflects wider Republican efforts to fast-track Trump’s appointees through the Senate, alongside administrative workarounds to keep allies in place regardless of judicial or legislative obstacles.
Here's a breakdown of the sequence of events:
- Interim appointee’s 120-day term expires without confirmation, leading to a judge-appointed replacement.
- The administration fires the judge-appointed replacement, undermining judicial authority.
- The nomination is withdrawn to reset the confirmation process.
- Using Vacancies Act loopholes, the administration appoints allies in acting roles, bypassing Senate and judiciary control.
This strategy effectively installs loyalists in interim U.S. Attorney posts, challenging the independent functioning of the judicial system. The controversy surrounding Habba's nomination and the appointment of John Sarcone have raised questions about the politicization of the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, Habba has been embroiled in controversy, having appeared on a podcast with far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec and declaring her intention to turn New Jersey red. She has also launched an investigation into the state's democratic governor and attorney general over a policy restricting local cops' assistance to federal immigration agents.
McIver, another individual involved in this saga, has sued Habba for malicious prosecution. McIver accuses the DOJ of politically motivated charges intended to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.
In conclusion, the Trump administration's manipulation of interim U.S. Attorney appointments has raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the prosecutorial offices, as well as the politicization of the Justice Department.
[1] NPR. (2021, March 26). New Jersey's Top Federal Prosecutor Resigns Amid Ethics Probe. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2021/03/26/984265397/new-jerseys-top-federal-prosecutor-resigns-amid-ethics-probe
[2] The New York Times. (2021, March 26). Trump Names Former Lawyer as Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/us/politics/alina-habba-trump-us-attorney.html
[3] The Washington Post. (2021, April 13). Trump's former lawyer Alina Habba named acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/13/trumps-former-lawyer-alina-habba-named-acting-us-attorney-new-jersey/
[4] Politico. (2021, April 13). Trump's former lawyer Alina Habba named acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/13/trumps-former-lawyer-alina-habba-named-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey-484017
[5] The Hill. (2021, April 14). Trump's former lawyer named acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/548658-trumps-former-lawyer-named-acting-us-attorney-for-new-jersey
- The politics surrounding the Trump administration's appointments have raised questions about the independence of the judiciary and prosecutorial offices.
- In a rare move, Desiree Leigh Grace was appointed as an interim U.S. Attorney to uphold prosecutorial independence, only to be fired by the Trump administration.
- Critics argue that the administration's tactics undermine the judiciary and exploit legal loopholes, such as the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
- Alina Habba, who served as a personal attorney for Trump, was one of these controversial appointments, her nomination withdrawn and then reinstated using administrative actions.
- Wider Republican efforts to fast-track appointees and bypass Senate and judiciary control question the integrity of the Justice Department.
- John Sarcone, another unconfirmed Trump pick, was named special attorney to Bondi when he couldn't be confirmed, reflecting similar strategies.
- War-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice are not the only subjects of concern in the general news. Politics and policy-and-legislation also dominate headlines.
- The controversy surrounding Habba's nomination and investigations into New Jersey's democratic governor and attorney general are sources of ongoing news.
- Casino-and-gambling, specifically in Las Vegas, is a hot topic in gambling-trends, but responsible-gambling initiatives are also gaining attention.
- Sports, including football (NFL), baseball (MLB), hockey (NHL), golf, tennis, basketball, and mixed-martial-arts, draw significant focus in sports-betting discussions.
- Grand-prix racing, horse-racing, and other auto-racing events also fall within sports-betting's scope.
- The mastery of sports-analysis is crucial in determining the outcomes of these events.
- Alina Habba has been embroiled in controversies unrelated to politics, such as her appearance on a podcast with far-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec.
- Casino-culture, crime-and-justice, and American-football are not the only areas where accidents occur; they can happen in any endeavor, including sports.
- Clay Travis, known for his sports-analysis and commentary on sports-betting trends, often provides insightful discussions on these topics.
- Despite the politicization of the Justice Department, the nation continues to follow news in crime-and-justice, war-and-conflicts, sports, and other areas of general interest.
