A federal judge criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for illegally taking control of the top prosecutor’s office in New Jersey for the second time.
Judge Matthew Brann, who was appointed by President Obama, issued a detailed 130-page ruling on Monday.
In it, he ruled that three DOJ lawyers—Jordan Fox, Philip Lamparello, and Ari Fontecchio—were not allowed to hold the position.
Bondi, who is 60 years old, placed these lawyers in charge after her previous choice, Alina Habba, a 41-year-old former Trump personal attorney, was removed last December.
Brann criticized Bondi’s move strongly, calling the government’s defense of the arrangement a “rhetorical smokescreen” and warning that the administration had put many criminal cases at risk.
He wrote, “One year into this administration, it is clear that President Trump and his top aides are frustrated with the legal and constitutional limits on their power,” as reported by Politico.
Brann also warned that “many dangerous criminals could have their cases dropped” because of the Trump administration’s insistence on appointing lawyers “chosen” by the president even when they are not properly appointed.
The problem started when Habba, who was placed in the role by Trump as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March 2025, was found to be serving illegally after her 120-day term ended without Senate confirmation.
The administration then tried several complicated legal tricks to keep her in the job, all of which Judge Brann rejected. The Third Circuit upheld his ruling last December.
Bondi tried to save face by making Habba a senior adviser and saying the courts were wrong—though that argument looks weaker now after Monday’s ruling.
Habba has continued trying to get her job back even after being forced out.
Instead of following the legal way to fill the vacancy, which is a Senate-confirmed nomination, Bondi tried to split the U.S. attorney’s role among three lawyers.
The judge quickly rejected that idea.
Brann asked, “Why should the fate of thousands of criminal cases in this district depend on the legitimacy of an unusual and complex leadership structure?”
He answered: “The government says: the President doesn’t like that he can’t just appoint whomever he wants.”
Brann paused his ruling while the DOJ appeals, but warned the administration that they are “proceeding at their own risk” and that any more illegal appointments could lead to criminal cases being dismissed.
He also mocked Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s claim on social media that courts can’t pick U.S. attorneys, pointing out that Congress has given judges that power, exactly as it is happening in New Jersey now.
New Jersey is now one of at least five states where courts have ruled against Trump-appointed prosecutors.
Brann said this pattern shows an administration that “cares more about who is running the office than whether it is running at all.”
Habba, who is still a senior adviser to Bondi, called the ruling “another ridiculous ruling from Judge Brann” on X, adding: “Judges may keep trying to stop President Trump from doing what the American people voted for, but we won’t be stopped.”
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