In a major blow to the Trump administration, a federal appeals court panel unanimously ruled today that Alina Haba is serving unlawfully as the U.S.

attorney for New Jersey, upholding a lower court ruling that she's disqualified from being in the job and that her appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.

Haba, a former personal attorney to President Trump, had been installed as acting U.S.

attorney after her interim 120-day stint expired.

Today's ruling found the Trump administration attempted to bypass the Senate confirmation process by keeping Haba in the role in an acting capacity indefinitely.

It also said the U.S.

Attorney General can't delegate powers of U.S.

attorney to her.

In a statement, U.S.

Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim said the decision vindicates their concerns about the process and asked the administration to work with them to identify a qualified replacement.

The case could end up before the Supreme Court.

Legal experts say that's the DOJ's only option to keep Haba on the job.

The ruling is also likely to have consequences for other Trump appointees and could open the floodgates for defendants here in New Jersey seeking to get their cases before HABA thrown out on the grounds that she didn't have the authority to bring them in the first place.

[Music]