For New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office, Habba era ends
By: Charles Stile
Political Stile
USA Today Network
..... It took just a one-sentence notice from the chief U.S. District Court judge on March 23 [2026] to unceremoniously end more than a year of chaos at the office of the United States attorney for New Jersey in Newark.
.....
Judge Renee Marie Bumb formally appointed Robert Frazer as the top federal prosecutor in New jersey. It appears to be the final chapter in a Trump administration-inflicted drama that paralyzed the administration of justice. Frazer, a veteran prosecutor, was hired more than two decades ago by then-U. S. Attorney Chris Christie and currently serves as the office's senior trial counsel.
..... In a phone interview Monday, [03/23/2026] Christie, who later became New Jersey governor and served from 2010 to 2018, called Frazer a "very intense, principle prosecutor," He called Frazer working on large drug and gang-related cases.
..... "The great thing for Rob, I think, is that he has worked at that office probably 21 or 22 years," Christie told me. "So he's seen a lot of different U.S. attorneys, a lot of different leadership styles and all the rest.
..... And hopefully that'll help him in figuring out who he wants to be in this job. I'm psyched for him. He;s a really professional guy with real integrity, and I'm sure that's exactly the way he'll conduct himself in the job."
..... Bumb's quiet code of an announcement stood in contrast to the self-congratulatory post on X from Alina Habba, who, unlike Frazer, came int the job as President Donald Trump's choice for the spot with a shallow resume as the president's personal lawyer and fixer, a show horse for the cameras who suggested that her aerial at the Peter Rodino Office Boodling in Newark was to help, "turn New Jersey red" - meaning that being a political operative was going to one of her responsibilities.
..... "New Jersey deserves a great chief federal law enforcement official who is in line with President Trump's agenda of making this country safe and NJ great!" she exclaimed in her Monday [03/23/2026] post. "I know Rob well and he will be a great caption of this state and mission of the @TheJusticeDept."
..... Habba's social media post went on to suggest Frazer's pick was made as part of negotiation between the U.S. Justice Department and the federal court judges, who had assumed control of the U.S. attorney appointment amid the dispute over Habba's appointment.
..... "One thing should be clear - when judges work" with Justice Department officials under Trump, Habba wrote, "to collaborate on serving what an overwhelming majority of Americans asked for at the ballots and not attack mindlessly for political gain THINGS GET DONE."
.....
It's hardly surprising that Habba - who was given a soft landing as a senior adviser to U.S. attorney general after federal judges sent her packing from New Jersey - would spin Frazer's announcement as winning the Trump stamp of approval. It's also more likely that they had little choice in the matter. The Trump Justice Department had pretty much run out of options.
..... Traditionally, a state's U.S. senators must sign off on a president;s pick for U.S. attorney. But Sean tors Cory Booker and Andy Kim refused to sign of on Habba, who filled the spot on a temporary term. When that period expired, the task of filling the post fell to the 12 Distinct Court judges - a power that was granted more than 160 years ago. They selected Desiree Leigh Grace, a register Republican. But Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, fired Grace and, through a legal maneuver, installed Habba as the effective U.S. attorney.
..... Defense attorneys challenged Habba's status, and a federal jugged eventually ruled it illegal, forcing her to step down. In her place, the office was operated by a trio - or "triumvirate" - of prosecutors, a confusing and unusual arrangement hat borough fresh scrutiny.
..... a New York Times report this month [03/2026] detailed the frustration over the U.S. Attorney's Office management under the trio of leadership, causing a delay in the sentencing of a man convicted on child pornography charges. U.S. district judge Zahid Quralshi presiding in Trenton, also questioned whether Habba was still working behind the scenes at the U.S. Attorney's Office.
..... Quraishi was incensed to learn that prosecutors apparently had amassed more evidence that could have led to lengthier charges. That prompted him to schedule a hearing on how the office was being managed. he planed to have the trio of prosecutors - Ari Fortecchio, Philip Lamparello and Jordan Fox - testify under oath. A hearing was scheduled for early May. [2026]
..... Now, the hearing is no longer going to be necessary. The Trump team settled out of court.