Donald Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba has stepped down from her role defending the former president in the fraud lawsuit filed against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Ms Habba has taken up a new role with Mr Trump’s Save America leadership political action committee.
A press release issued by the PAC says that Mr Trump appointed Ms Habba to be his legal spokesperson and general counsel to Save America, though she will also still assist the former president with “certain legal matters”.
“Alina has worked diligently and tirelessly on many of the witch-hunt cases that have been unfairly brought against President Trump,” said Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump 2024 campaign.
The statement continues: “While the Habba Madaio Law firm will continue to assist the President in certain legal matters, Ms Habba will withdraw from the New York Attorney General’s case against the Trump Organization and President Trump and other cases, in order to devote her time to Save America and her duties as his media representative on legal matters.”
Ms Habba says: “It is an honour to be asked by such a leader as President Trump to help Save America. Being able to devote more time to addressing publicly his many legal matters is the privilege of a lifetime.”
The appointment is effective immediately.
Ms Habba is also tied to and more widely known for her role in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case and was called before the federal grand jury.
She spoke on Jesse Watters’ Fox News show amid news that the grand jury indicted Mr Trump on charges related to his allegedly unlawful retention of national defence information.
The attorney claimed the indictment was a distraction from supposed impropriety on behalf of President Joe Biden of which House Republicans have so far failed to produce any evidence.
“Every single time there is a coordinated dance that is becoming obvious to the American people because they are smart,” Ms Habba said.
She added that the indictments of the twice-impeached former president were the equivalent of a “shiny ball” meant to distract the American public.
“I’m embarrassed to be a lawyer at this moment,” she said. “Honestly, I am ashamed. I’m ashamed to be a lawyer. I’m ashamed that this is the state of our country.”
Ms Habba claimed the indictment showed the United States had a two-tiered system of justice.
“And it is so obvious that there’s this dual system of justice,” she said. “This is selective prosecution, selective persecution. It is absolute persecution. It is Russia third world stuff, and it should not be happening.”
