US judge says prosecutors picked by AG Pam Bondi were appointed illegally

United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s administration has faced another setback from the country’s judiciary just weeks after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment against Trump imposed global tariffs.

A federal judge has declared that three prosecutors, handpicked by the U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, to lead the New Jersey attorney general’s office, were appointed illegally.

The seat was vacated after a judge disqualified the president’s former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, from the role in August, followed by Habba's resignation in December 2025.

Judge Matthew Brann, in a 130-page blistering ruling, declared that the appointments bypassed Congressional oversight.

However, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania did not order their removal pending a government appeal.

He said the executive branch has overreached its authority in the appointment and that this overreach could jeopardize cases brought before his court.

Brann criticised the government for not seeking the Senate’s advice and consent, adding, “Whenever there’s a prospect of the Senate rejecting his preferred candidate, the president could have appointed that individual unilaterally to serve ‘ad infinitum’.”

For context, Brann is a former Republican Party official who was appointed to the federal court’s bench during former President Barack Obama’s presidency.

The ruling follows Brann’s earlier decision in August 2025 disqualifying Habba. He accused the Trump administration of keeping her in place using “a novel series of legal and personnel moves.”