A federal judge has disqualified three Justice Department officials from overseeing federal prosecutions in New Jersey.
US District Judge Matthew Brann swatted down Attorney General Pam Bondi’s unusual decision to replace Alina Habba, a personal attorney for Trump, indefinitely with three Justice Department officials who would share authority for the office.
Brann characterized their appointments as an “illegal power grab” by the Trump administration, violating the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
This ruling follows Brann’s previous decision to bar Habba from the same role for serving too long without Senate confirmation.
Brann criticized the administration’s repeated attempts to bypass Senate confirmation for US attorney positions, noting “at least three undisputedly legal methods” to fill the New Jersey post.
