Republican legal activists are filing a complaint in defense of U.S. Attorney Alina Habba after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for federal district judges to remove her from her position.
Jeffries’ complaints about Habba stemmed from her decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., with obstructing Homeland Security agents during an altercation at an immigration facility in Newark on May 9.
McIver has pleaded not guilty. She is now headed for trial on Nov. 10.
‘The so-called U.S. Attorney in NJ maliciously indicted Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for doing her job,’ said Jeffries in a post on X. ‘Habba is a woefully unqualified political hack who must go.
‘She must be rejected by the Federal District Court Judges who are considering whether to retain her.’
The Article III Project filed a House Ethics complaint against Jeffries over the weekend for ‘improperly inserting himself into a criminal proceeding.’
‘This is clear corruption by House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Habba, a former Trump campaign legal spokesperson and White House counselor, to the position in March in an acting capacity.
Habba’s confirmation has been held up in the Senate. But if a majority of U.S. district court judges in New Jersey decide to allow her to retain her position on Monday, she could stay on through the Trump presidency.
Of the 17 sitting district court judges from New Jersey, 15 were nominated by Democratic presidents.
‘A House member – particularly the House Democratic leader – who disagrees with the merits of a pending criminal case abuses his official position when he attempts to strong-arm federal judges to corruptly prejudice the ongoing criminal proceeding by firing the U.S. attorney for the purely political reason of protecting a partisan House colleague,’ the complaint said, asking the House Ethics Committee to hold Jeffries ‘accountable.’
McIver and two other members of Congress said they were conducting a congressional oversight visit that coincided with an immigration protest, when a clash ensued with federal agents.
According to a DOJ press release, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was allowed into the Delaney Hall immigration facility’s secured area and then federal agents warned him to leave, but he refused to do so.
When officers tried to arrest Baraka, McIver allegedly blocked them, putting her arms around the mayor, and ‘slammed her forearm’ into one officer while grabbing another and using both of her forearms to forcibly strike the second officer.
Each of the first two counts carries a maximum eight-year prison sentence. The third carries up to one year.
The Campaign for Accountability, a liberal watchdog group, has filed a complaint against Habba for bringing charges against McIver and Baraka, alleging she politically targeted the pair in retaliation for participating in the protest and oversight visit because their views oppose those of President Donald Trump.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.