The Trump administration quickly acted to remove Habba’s replacement following a decision not to extend her term.

Controversy is festering over a US District Court's recent attempted replacement of Interim US Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba. US Attorn

Habba’s disastrous tenure as a federal prosecutor appeared to be over — until Donald Trump and Pam Bondi came up with a scheme to keep her in place.

Trump appointed her as interim attorney, but to stay full-time, Habba would need to be approved by district judges or have the Senate confirm her position. On Tuesday, New Jersey’s federal judges instead chose to replace Habba with longtime prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace, who served as Habba’s assistant.

Just hours after replacing Alina Habba as U.S. attorney in New Jersey with her assistant, Desiree Leigh Grace, Grace was forced to step down, too. Mere hours after the court moved Tuesday to not extend Habba’s 120-day appointment and name her successor,

Alina Habba’s term as interim U.S. attorney was set to expire this week. Federal judges announced a replacement, but Attorney General Pam Bondi quickly intervened.

Some of the controversy stems from remarks following her March appointment, when Habba hoped to “turn New Jersey red.” “Hopefully, while I’m there, I can help that cause,” she said.

Alina Habba's unexpected rise from Lehigh University and Widener Law School graduate to a key figure in Trump's legal circle is marked by controversy.