Prosecutor Fired by Trump Officials Says She Is Set to Take Over Office

New York|Prosecutor Fired by Trump Officials Says She Is Set to Take Over Office

A veteran New Jersey federal prosecutor who was appointed as the next U.S. attorney by judges in the state said Wednesday that she was ready to take on the role, even though she had been fired by senior Justice Department officials.

The prosecutor, Desiree Leigh Grace, made the statement in a LinkedIn post, calling it an honor to have been selected for the role “on merit” and saying that she was prepared to begin to serve “in accordance with the law.”

Ms. Grace’s defiant post extends the standoff between federal officials in New Jersey and Justice Department officials in Washington who on Tuesday reacted to Ms. Grace’s appointment by district judges in the state by summarily firing her.

The deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, accused the judges of playing politics and said that Ms. Grace had been removed “pursuant to the president’s authority.”

Ms. Grace did not mention her firing explicitly, though her post read as something of a farewell to her law enforcement partners, whom she thanked.

“It was an honor to work with you,” she wrote. The tone of her post suggested that she may not expect to occupy the U.S. attorney role for which she said she was prepared.

“I’ve served under both Republican and Democratic administrations,” she wrote. “I’ve been promoted four times in the last five years by both — including four months ago by this administration. Politics never impacted my work at the Department.”

Until Tuesday, Ms. Grace served as the top deputy to Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney. Ms. Habba, a former personal lawyer to President Trump, had no prosecutorial experience before she was appointed to the role. Ms. Habba’s term ends Friday, according to Mr. Blanche.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.