Trump-Appointed Attorney For Delaware Abruptly Quits, Cites Flawed ‘Blue Slip’ Tradition

President Donald Trump’s U.S. attorney in Delaware has stepped down following a court ruling that found Alina Habba was unlawfully serving as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey.

Julianne Murray, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware, submitted her resignation on Friday. In a public statement, Murray defended her tenure and emphasized that she had not acted to advance political interests while in office, the Washington Examiner reported.

“I naively believed that I would be judged on my performance and not politics. Unfortunately, that was not the case,” Murray wrote, blaming the “highly politicized, flawed blue slip tradition” for cutting her interim tenure short.

“Senator Coons and Senator Blunt Rochester refused to return a blue slip for political reasons, not performance reasons,” she added. “This is not about advice and consent. Because of this incredibly flawed tradition, I wasn’t even considered by the Judiciary Committee, let alone the entire Senate.”

Murray, a former chairwoman of the Delaware Republican Party, referenced the ruling that led to Habba’s removal in explaining her own decision to resign. She said stepping down was necessary to preserve confidence in the rule of law and the integrity of the Justice Department’s appointment process.

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