NEWARK, NJ – Today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) issued the following statement after U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann heard arguments challenging Alina Habba’s authority as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey:
“New Jerseyans deserve a legal system that works to keep us safe, grounded in the core principles of checks and balances, separations of powers, and equal justice. But since her appointment, Alina Habba has shown that she cannot be trusted to uphold these principles and is undermining the safety of our communities. While the Administration continues to defend its abuse of legal authority to keep Habba in power, federal criminal cases are now piling up with prosecutors unable to move forward or have their cases heard, including a triple homicide and cases involving weapons and drugs, leaving our communities without justice and making New Jerseyans less safe.
“Today’s hearing made clear that Trump is set on defying the lawful nomination process to reward his personal lawyer, Alina Habba, with the critical role of New Jersey U.S. Attorney. This thwarts our prosecutors’ ability to tackle crime in every federal case across the state, putting public safety at risk. We are hopeful that the court will reject the Administration’s attempt to undermine the lawful nomination process, and we urge the Administration to restore Desiree Grace as interim U.S. Attorney while it works to identify and nominate a permanent, qualified individual who will put the interests of the people of New Jersey above all else.”