There have been some signs that Donald Trump's second term has not been kind to Alina Habba, and the whiplash she might've felt from a chaotic news day could be one of them. Taking to social media to celebrate an appeals court in New York tossing Trump's hefty fine for his civil fraud case, Habba once again proved why she's considered Trump's worst lawyer by misunderstanding the ruling. In her August 21 post to X, Habba boldly stated the ruling was "a resounding victory for President Trump," and reiterated
her belief that the "case was politically motivated." Habba ended her post with the assertion that "President Trump won - and justice won with him." However, the facts beg to differ.
According to reporting by CNN, the split decision only eradicates the fines Trump was expected to pay and does not overturn his felony conviction. Letitia James, the New York state attorney general who pursued the case — and who's subsequently being investigated by the Trump administration — indicated she will be appealing the ruling. Meanwhile, as Habba attempted to take a victory lap, posting throwback photos of her time in court alongside Trump to her Instagram Stories, her celebration was short-lived. Later the same day, a federal judge determined Habba has been breaking the law simply by showing up to work.
Read more: Celebs Who Left The Country After Trump's Win
Alina Habba Has Been Illegally Serving As Attorney General Of New Jersey
One of the weirdest things about Alina Habba and Donald Trump's relationship is his willingness to find her jobs for which she is uniquely unqualified. Considering she was part of the legal team that initially lost him the felony fraud case, it was a bit of a shock to see that Trump had nominated Habba as interim attorney general for the state of New Jersey. According to the Associated Press, this position was supposed to be temporary, with Habba expected to leave or officially be confirmed by the Senate by the end of July 2025. Habba, however, has continued to perform the duties of the position, even though the deadline lapsed.
Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi attempted some fancy footwork to keep Habba in her position without Senate approval — as the Democratic Senators of New Jersey have indicated confirming her to be a nonstarter. With Habba refusing to leave her position and senators refusing to confirm her, a group of defendants facing prosecution from Habba filed a lawsuit to challenge her authority. Ultimately, a federal judge agreed that Habba has been illegally operating as New Jersey attorney general. Of course, an appeal has already been lodged against this ruling and the judge in charge did put a hold on his order to allow the drama to continue to play out in court.
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