Judge Brann Blocks Unconfirmed Justice Department Officials in New Jersey

U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann disqualified three Justice Department officials—Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox, and Ari Fontecchio—from overseeing federal prosecutions in New Jersey on March 10, 2026. Brann ruled that Attorney General Pam Bondi's decision to appoint the trio to share authority indefinitely violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution, which requires Senate confirmation for U.S. attorneys.

The judge described the administration's personnel maneuvers as an "enormous assertion of Presidential power" and an "illegal power grab." This decision follows a previous ruling by Brann that barred Alina Habba from the same role because she had exceeded the legal time limit for unconfirmed officials.

Alina Habba, currently a senior adviser at the Justice Department, called the ruling "ridiculous" and characterized it as an unconstitutional overreach into the Executive Branch. This case is part of a larger judicial conflict regarding the Trump administration's appointment of federal prosecutors, with similar courts ruling that unconfirmed prosecutors in Nevada, Los Angeles, and northern New York were serving unlawfully.