New Jersey judges appointed a career prosecutor, Robert Frazer, on Monday to serve as U.S. attorney after a drawn-out legal battle that led to the departure of President Trump’s first pick, Alina Habba.
Mr. Frazer was appointed, effective immediately, in an order signed by Chief U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb.
Mr. Frazer served in the U.S. attorney’s office for more than two decades, most recently as senior trial counsel. His selection followed consultations between the federal courts and the Department of Justice.
The appointment should bring stability to the office after a period of shifting leadership and confusion following the departure of Ms. Habba, a personal lawyer for Mr. Trump who frequently appeared on television.
Mr. Trump appointed Ms. Habba to serve as U.S. attorney, but a judge in August said the administration flouted rules with the appointment to get around the Senate confirmation process.
An appeals court upheld the ruling, and Ms. Habba stepped down.
Later, a judge ruled that a trio of officials tapped to run the office were unlawfully serving, leading to further upheaval.
The saga in New Jersey is part of a broader fight among Mr. Trump, Senate Democrats and the courts over federal prosecutor appointments.
Democrats have opposed U.S. attorney picks through the “blue slip” tradition, in which home-state senators are expected to give their blessing for appointments.
Mr. Trump used various maneuvers to extend the 120-day limit for interim appointments not confirmed by the Senate, leading to legal challenges.
Mr. Trump’s U.S. attorneys have also been disqualified in districts within California, Nevada, New York and Virginia.
Mr. Frazer can serve until a presidentially nominated pick is confirmed by the Senate.
Mr. Trump could also attempt to fire him, though he seems to be a consensus pick with broad support.
Ms. Habba congratulated Mr. Frazer on social media, saying he would be a “great champion” of New Jersey.
“Congratulations to my colleague Rob Frazer at the Department of Justice in New Jersey, who just became the next United States Attorney,” she wrote on X. “New Jersey deserves a great chief federal law enforcement official who is in line with President Trump’s agenda of making this country safe and N.J. great!”
Former Gov. Chris Christie, who built his political career as a U.S. attorney for New Jersey, praised Mr. Frazer in an interview with Politico.
“I’m proud to have hired him. He’s an outstanding prosecutor with really great judgment, and I’m confident he’ll do a really excellent job,” Mr. Christie said. “He knows how to work cases, and I think having someone who knows how to do that in this job right now will be really advantageous to the office.”
Mr. Christie added that Mr. Frazer is “a Mets fan, so that’s the most important thing you need to know about him.”
