New Federal Prosecutor To Take The Helm In New Jersey After Months Of Upheaval

A profession charismatic is group to lead nan U.S. Attorney’s Office for nan District of New Jersey aft successful consultations betwixt national judges and the Trump administration that were preceded by months of legal fights and important turnover.

Robert Frazer, who has served successful nan New Jersey U.S. attorney’s agency for much than 2 decades and was astir precocious its elder proceedings counsel, will go nan apical national charismatic successful nan state.

The main judge for nan territory signed a one-sentence order Monday appointing Frazer.

The aforesaid day, a missive signed by an adjunct U.S. lawyer successful nan agency said Frazer’s assignment “followed consultations betwixt nan District Court and nan Department of Justice’s elder leadership.”

The Justice Department did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. In a statement to The New York Times, a Justice Department spokesperson thanked nan New Jersey judges for moving pinch nan Justice Department and appointing Frazer truthful "criminal prosecutions tin resume without needless situation aliases delay."

The assignment follows astir a twelvemonth of upheaval aft President Donald Trump named 1 of his erstwhile individual attorneys, Alina Habba, arsenic nan district’s interim U.S. lawyer successful March 2025.

Alina Habba arrives for nan world premiere of "Melania" astatine nan Kennedy Center successful Washington connected Jan. 29.Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump past nominated her to capable nan domiciled permanently, but nan Senate did not enactment connected her nomination. After 120 days passed and her interim position expired, territory judges successful New Jersey appointed Desiree Leigh Grace, Habba’s first adjunct and a registered Republican, to her post.

Attorney General Pam Bondi instantly fired Grace, calling nan judges’ assignment “politically minded.” She past made a bid of maneuvers to re-appoint Habba, a move that U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann recovered unlawful. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Brann’s ruling.

The Justice Department past moved to name a trio of prosecutors to lead nan office, an unconventional move that came nether scrutiny from judges successful nan district, immoderate of whom delayed sentencings and hearings, citing concerns that they could beryllium invalidated nether nan activity structure. Brann ruled that nan triumvirate was not starring nan agency lawfully.

Another judge suggested that Habba was still calling nan shots down nan scenes.

Habba, who is now a senior advisor to Bondi, congratulated Frazer connected Monday, saying he will beryllium “a awesome champion of this authorities and nan mission” of nan Justice Department.

In her post, Habba besides suggested nan judges had worked pinch Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche reposted Habba’s message.

The administration’s appointments for interim U.S. attorneys successful different districts person been recovered unlawful successful immoderate districts beyond New Jersey.

In nan Eastern District of Virginia, a national judge ruled that Lindsey Halligan, who unsuccessfully prosecuted erstwhile FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department fired her replacement hours aft national judges appointed him.

The aforesaid point happened successful the Northern District of New York, wherever charismatic Donald Kinsella was fired instantly aft judges appointed him to switch Trump’s interim pick, John Sarcone III.