Overview
- U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio were improperly installed to divide the powers of New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.
- In a 130-page opinion, Brann said the Justice Department’s approach amounts to an “enormous assertion of Presidential power” and violates the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.
- The order is paused during the government’s appeal, allowing the three officials to remain in place for now without immediate dismissal of the challenged indictments.
- The decision follows earlier rulings that Alina Habba’s tenure was unlawful and fits a broader pattern of courts rejecting similar Trump administration staffing tactics in New York, Virginia, California and Nevada.
- Defense teams for Raheel Naviwala and Daniel Torres praised the outcome, and Alina Habba criticized the ruling on X, while the Justice Department did not immediately comment.