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N.J. federal judges sideline Alina Habba as top prosecutor, DOJ ousts her replacement

N.J. federal judges sideline Alina Habba as top prosecutor, DOJ ousts her replacement

Yahoo2 days ago
Federal judges in New Jersey invoked a rarely used judiciary power to sideline interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, installing her top assistant as the state's top federal prosecutor — but hours later, the Trump administration responded by ousting Habba's deputy.
President Trump installed Habba, who had served as his personal attorney, on March 24 in an interim capacity. An appointee can lead a U.S. attorney's office for up to 120 days pending Senate confirmation. Habba was not formally nominated for the role until July 1 and has not been confirmed.
The state's district judges voted to replace her. Chief Judge Renée Bumb wrote in an order Tuesday that they appointed Habba's first assistant, longtime prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace, to the role.
Hours later, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department had "removed" Grace, accusing "rogue judges" of "threatening" the president's constitutional powers.
A Justice Department official told CBS News that Grace is no longer with the department.
New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, condemned Grace's removal.
"The firing of a career public servant, lawfully appointed by the court, is another blatant attempt to intimidate anyone that doesn't agree with them and undermine judicial independence," the two senators wrote in a joint statement.
CBS News has reached out to Grace for comment.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who in social media posts on Sunday and Monday urged the judges to keep Habba in the role, blasted their decision Tuesday.
Blanche accused the judges of "trying to force out" Habba, and serving "a left-wing agenda, not the rule of law."
"When judges act like activists, they undermine confidence in our justice system. Alina is President Trump's choice to lead—and no partisan bench can override that," Blanche wrote.
Habba did not immediately reply to a request for comment by CBS News.
Habba faced an uphill battle to secure Senate confirmation, which was opposed by the state's two Democratic senators.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey praised the judges' decision in a social media post Tuesday, noting that Grace has been a federal prosecutor in the state since 2016.
"The people of New Jersey deserve a United States Attorney who will enforce the law without fear or favor, always in pursuit of the public interest and guided by the principles of impartiality and fairness," Booker wrote.
Habba's time in office was marked by clashes with Democrats. Her office charged Newark Mayor Ras Baraka with criminal trespassing and U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault after a May protest at an immigration facility.
The charges against Baraka were dropped, and McIver entered a not guilty plea.
Habba was previously counselor to the president early in his second term. For several years prior, she was a lead attorney on many of his most high-profile civil cases, including a New York state fraud case and a defamation case involving the writer E. Jean Carroll. A judge and a jury in those cases found Mr. Trump liable for about half a billion dollars in damages and disgorgement.
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Is Donald Trump Named in the Epstein Files?
Is Donald Trump Named in the Epstein Files?

Time​ Magazine

time14 hours ago

  • Time​ Magazine

Is Donald Trump Named in the Epstein Files?

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Maxwell's lawyer confirmed in a post on X that they were in contact with the government. The decision to speak with Maxwell, as well as the Department of Justice's request for grand jury testimony related to the Epstein to be unsealed on Friday, mark a shift in Bondi's approach to the issue as the Administration continues to take fire from its base and some Republican lawmakers and media figures.

Judges deny releasing Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts from cases in New York and Florida
Judges deny releasing Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts from cases in New York and Florida

Yahoo

time16 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Judges deny releasing Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts from cases in New York and Florida

Federal judges in New York and Florida on Wednesday rejected requests to unseal grand jury transcripts related to investigations into Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Last week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked judges in Florida and New York to release transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and Maxwell, saying, 'Transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration.' However, appeals from both the Trump administration and Maxwell were denied Wednesday by two separate judges. The evidence the Trump administration hoped to unseal, however, likely wouldn't reveal much, according to experts, who say prosecutors try to provide just enough to get charges — not introduce an entire investigation. U.S. Judge Robin L. Rosenberg in West Palm Beach wrote in her ruling that the request to release the documents related to an investigation into Epstein from 2005 to 2007 did not meet any of the extraordinary exceptions under federal law that could make them public. Grand jury proceedings are typically done in secret and kept from public view. Meanwhile, New York federal Judge Paul A. Engelmayer wrote in a filing that Maxwell, who requested access to grand jury transcripts in her case, 'has not shown, or attempted to show, that the grand jury materials in her case are apt to reveal any deficiency in the proceedings leading to her indictment.' Engelmayer wrote there was 'no compelling necessity' for Maxwell to review her grand jury transcripts, which the Trump Administration has also requested to unseal. 'The Court will review these transcripts expeditiously. In the event the Court determines it would benefit from Maxwell's commentary as to discrete aspect of these transcripts, the Court stands ready to make that excerpt, or a synopsis thereof, available to her counsel to facilitate counsel's briefing,' Engelmayer wrote. Engelmayer continued: 'But there is no justification for Maxwell to obtain the extraordinary relief of plenary access to the grand jury transcripts in her case.' Both rejections come about a week after the Justice Department asked the judges to release the records, likely in a move to appease the MAGA base of President Donald Trump, many of whom believe the government has not been transparent with their investigation into Epstein. While Trump ran on the promise that more information would be released about Epstein and his associates, he has since reversed course, with Attorney General Pam Bondi releasing a joint memo with the FBI indicating there would be no more information shared about the financier's conviction. In 2008, Epstein made a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida that would let him avoid more serious federal charges and instead plead guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He later died by suicide in Manhattan federal court while awaiting trial. Maxwell was later convicted at trial and sentenced to 20 years in prison. After news of the rejection was made public Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters she would 'let the president speak to whether he wants to see an appeal.' With reporting from the Associated Press. Solve the daily Crossword

Trump rollback on clean energy subsidies stalls major solar, wind projects and manufacturing plans
Trump rollback on clean energy subsidies stalls major solar, wind projects and manufacturing plans

Fast Company

time18 hours ago

  • Fast Company

Trump rollback on clean energy subsidies stalls major solar, wind projects and manufacturing plans

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