A big showdown might be brewing in New Jersey. The acting top prosecutor there, Alina Habba, could soon lock horns with a federal judge. This tension stems from an order by President Trump to pause cases about foreign bribery.
Habba Caught in Bribery Case Standoff
Habba stepped into her role as the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey recently. Before her, another prosecutor asked the judge for a six-month delay in one of these bribery cases. The judge said no.
Now, Habba has to figure out how to deal with this mess. The case involves two businessmen accused of paying millions to an official in India to help build a big office. It’s a serious accusation, and the judge wants things to move fast—either go to trial soon or drop the case entirely.
These cases fall under a law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA for short. It’s a rule that stops American businesses from bribing officials in other countries. But Trump’s new order has thrown a curveball into how these cases are handled, and not everyone agrees on what to do next.
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A Judge Stands Firm
The judge in this situation is based in Newark, New Jersey. He’s not budging on his decision. When the previous prosecutor asked for that six-month delay, the judge pointed to an earlier promise from someone in the government.
That person said, just days after Trump’s order, that the case would still go to trial. The judge took that seriously. He thinks the government already had enough time—about 10 or 11 days—to decide the case should move forward. So, he’s not giving them half a year more to think about it.
Instead, the judge laid out two clear choices: start the trial by April 7 or ask to drop the case. No in-between, no extra waiting. This puts Habba in a tough spot. She’s new to the job, and now she’s got a judge pushing her to act fast. The judge’s ruling makes it clear he’s not here for delays, even with Trump’s order in play. It’s like he’s saying, “Pick a lane, and let’s get moving.”
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This isn’t just about one case, though. It’s part of a bigger tug-of-war. Trump and his team have been frustrated with judges who don’t go along with his plans. In other places, like Washington, D.C., he’s even called for a judge to be removed for blocking deportations. He’s made it no secret he thinks some courts are overstepping. At a recent event, he said, “The courts want to pretend they’re president, and they’re not president.” That’s the kind of heat Habba’s walking into.
The Bribery Case and Trump’s Big Move
Let’s break down the case at the heart of this. Back in 2019, two executives from a tech company in Teaneck, New Jersey, got into hot water. They allegedly okayed $3.6 million in bribes to an Indian official. The goal? To get permission to build a huge office complex in a city called Chennai. The company itself already paid $25 million to settle a related complaint a few years ago. But the two men still face criminal charges, and that’s where things stand now.
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Trump’s order, signed last month, shakes things up. He doesn’t like the FCPA. He says it scares businesses away from making deals overseas. “Nobody wants to do business because they don’t want to feel like every time they pick up a phone, they’re going to jail,” he said when he signed it.
His order tells the Justice Department to freeze all new FCPA investigations for at least 180 days—about six months. It also says they need to look hard at existing cases, like this one in New Jersey, and decide what to do.
The order goes even further. It suggests the Attorney General—Trump’s pick, Pam Bondi—could stretch that pause another six months if needed. Trump’s point is clear: he wants less of what he calls a “horror show” for American companies.
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He believes the law, while it sounds nice, hurts the country more than it helps. Habba, who used to be Trump’s defense lawyer and adviser, now has to carry out this vision in New Jersey. But with the judge pushing back, it’s not so simple.
Habba’s office isn’t saying much yet. She did hint, right after starting her job, that she wants to shake things up. She talked about “cleaning up the mess” and focusing on the right targets—not people she thinks are falsely accused.
This bribery case, though, isn’t going away quietly. It’s one of just a few FCPA cases still active across the country, with others bubbling up in places like Pittsburgh and Miami. For now, all eyes are on Habba and the judge, waiting to see who blinks first in this high-stakes standoff.
