The Justice Department overall has extended the terms of four U.S. attorneys who have not been confirmed by the Senate, which remains on summer break.
Alina Habba (New Jersey), John Sarcone III (New York), Bill Essayli (California), and Sigal Chattah (Nevada) have continued in their jobs despite not being confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, which is demanded by law.
The DOJ named Habba, Essayli, and Sigal as acting U.S. attorneys. Sarcone was named "special attorney to the attorney general," effectively giving him the power of a U.S. attorney, CBS News reported.
Interim and acting appointments are allowed by federal law.
Habba, who had been named the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March, appeared to lose the position July 22 when judges in the district declined to keep her in the post while she awaits confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
The District Court judges appointed one of Habba's subordinates, Desiree Leigh Grace, as her successor. But just hours later, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she had in turn removed Grace, blaming Habba's removal on "politically minded judges."
"My understanding is that under prior administrations, there would be some behind-the-scenes communication to make sure that the interim U.S. attorney picked by the administration was acceptable to the District Court," the CATO Institute's Thomas Berry told CBS News.
Six of Trump's 49 interim U.S. attorneys have served the maximum 120 days allowed under that status as of Tuesday, CBS News reported, but the District Courts voted to extend them on the 120th day.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, later introduced legislation that would prohibit district judges from appointing interim U.S. attorneys if the 120-day term of the person appointed by the president expires.
Although critics have assailed the moves to extend the terms, Trump is not the first president to oversee such maneuvers.
Then-President Barack Obama in 2014 appointed Vanita Gupta as acting head of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division amid the department's investigation into the Missouri shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown by a police officer.
Obama never nominated Gupta for the permanent position, but she served well beyond the 210 days allowed by the Vacancies Act.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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