A veteran New Jersey prosecutor who was appointed as the next U.S. attorney by federal judges in the state said she was prepared to take the job, even though she had been fired the day before by senior Justice Department officials.

The prosecutor, Desiree Leigh Grace, made the statement on Wednesday in a LinkedIn post, calling it an honor to have been selected for the position "on merit" and saying that she was ready to begin to serve "in accordance with the law."

Grace's post extended the remarkable standoff between federal officials in New Jersey and Justice Department officials in Washington over who should lead the U.S. attorney's office in the state.

The person currently in the role, Alina Habba, was formerly President Trump's personal lawyer. She is serving in an interim, 120-day

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