Former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace is fighting back after her ouster to make way for Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba.
Grace said she was fired in “direct retaliation” for being appointed by a panel of federal judges to take over Habba’s role as the state’s top federal prosecutor. Grace is now taking legal action by appealing what she says was an “unjustified” termination from her job. She filed a complaint with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, as first reported by Bloomberg Law.
The Justice Department announced Grace’s firing on July 22, just hours after the judges voted for her to become the acting U.S. Attorney in New Jersey, instead of extending the term for Habba, President Trump’s choice and former personal attorney.
“[Habba] has been doing a great job in making NJ safe again,” said U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement of X at the time. “Nonetheless, politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position, replacing Alina with the First Assistant.”
The Department of Justice then used a complicated political maneuver to keep Habba on as acting U.S. Attorney, despite her tenure expiring and no confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate. But it’s unlikely the protection board will be able to reinstate Grace after Trump fired one of its Democratic appointees earlier this year, making the board unable to decide cases right now.
