An Iraqi woman sparks a legal battle between Trump and federal judges.
An Iraqi woman sparks a legal battle between Trump and federal judges.
2025-07-25 03:22
Shafaq News – Washington
US President Donald Trump is engaged in a major battle with federal judges to keep his former personal lawyer, Elena Habba, of Iraqi descent, as New Jersey’s attorney general.
Politico reported, in a report seen by Shafaq News Agency, that the Trump administration believes it has found a temporary solution to keep Alina Habba as New Jersey’s attorney general and overcome federal judges who sought to replace her.
The report added that “this move is the latest in a series of efforts by the Trump administration to give one of the president’s allies a senior position within the law enforcement apparatus,” indicating that “the US administration is circumventing the traditional authority vested in the Senate to approve key administration officials.”
Meanwhile, a Justice Department official revealed that President Trump will permanently withdraw Alina Habba’s nomination to serve as US Attorney General.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi will then appoint Habba to the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second-highest ranking position in the office,” he added.
According to the report, as a natural consequence and since the position of US Attorney is currently vacant, Alina Habba will automatically assume the position on an interim basis as First Assistant.
It should be noted that she cannot simultaneously be an official candidate nominated by the president and hold the position temporarily, so this step is being taken to overcome this conflict.
This multi-step maneuver comes as Alina Habba, who has served as interim head of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office since March, approaches her deadline to leave office on Friday.
This deadline triggered a rarely used legal provision that allows federal district court judges in New Jersey to appoint a successor until Trump can secure Senate confirmation for a permanent U.S. attorney general.
Earlier this week, the justices selected Desiree Lee Grace, a veteran prosecutor, to succeed Alina Habba, angering Justice Department leaders who had hoped to keep Habba, known for her loyalty to Trump, in the position.
Meanwhile, Habba wrote in a social media post, “Donald Trump is the 47th president, Pam Bondi is the attorney general. I am now the acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.”
Alina Habba is an exceptionally controversial figure, stemming from her close relationship with the US president before he took office and her behavior after his inauguration for a second term.
She led an unsuccessful legal case against Newark Mayor Russ Baraka, indicted Rep. LaMonica McIver, and opened an investigation into Gov. Phil Murphy, all Democrats.
Trump’s allies in the Justice Department said the judges were “rebellious” and seeking to “threaten” Trump’s authority to select prosecutors, a power that is limited by the Senate’s approval of the president’s picks.
Additionally, a person close to the Justice Department said the judges, most of whom were nominated by Democratic presidents, are likely to face increased scrutiny from the Trump administration.
After the judges decided to select Grace, Attorney General Pam Bondi removed Grace before she could serve as acting U.S. Attorney.
However, Grace still plans to take over after Alina Habba leaves, which was expected by the end of this week, according to a Politico report.
In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, Grace said she plans to serve as interim U.S. attorney general at the judges’ request.
Who is Aline Habba?
An attorney and businesswoman of Arab descent, born on March 25, 1984, in Summit, New Jersey. Her roots go back to Mosul, Iraq, from which her parents emigrated in 1981.
Alina completed her high school education from Kent Place School in 2002 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lehigh University.
Before studying law and earning her J.D. from Widener Commonwealth University School of Law in 2010, Allen worked in the fashion industry from 2005 to 2007, specializing in the production and marketing of accessories for Marc Jacobs.
After graduating, she worked as a law clerk and then as an assistant attorney at several law firms. In March 2020, she established her own law firm. She is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Alina has been married twice and has three children. Her second marriage is still ongoing, to Greg Rubin, who is Jewish, while she is Catholic. He is the CEO of Centerpark, a parking management company based in New York City.
Habba is a member of the Republican Party and is the personal lawyer for US President Trump, serving as his advisor since January 20, 2025.
shafaq.com
