Judge appoints new US attorney for New Jersey after Habba, other officials were disqualified
Robert Frazer was appointed Monday as U.S. attorney for New Jersey, ending a dispute between the courts and President Trump after earlier picks were disqualified.
A U.S. District Court judge issued a one-sentence order under a Justice Department agreement, allowing prosecutions to continue without delay.
Earlier this month, Judge Matthew Brann disqualified three Justice Department officials, Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio, who had shared authority over the office. He called their appointments an illegal power grab. They had replaced Trump’s first pick, former personal attorney Alina Habba, whom Brann barred last year for staying too long without Senate confirmation.
Last week, another federal judge ordered the three officials to answer questions under oath and removed another official, citing frustration with the department’s handling of the office.
Habba, now a senior Justice Department adviser, congratulated Frazer on social media, saying New Jersey deserves a chief federal law enforcement official aligned with Trump’s agenda.
