Alina Habba as Presidential Counselor Marks Spectacular Rise Under Trump

Donald Trump announced Sunday that his attorney Alina Habba will serve as counselor to the president-elect in his upcoming administration.

The announcement marks a spectacular rise for Habba, who met Trump at his Bedminster Golf Club, New Jersey, in 2019, eight years into her legal career. She then went on to represent him in several high-profile cases, and eventually becoming a key adviser for his successful 2024 campaign.

Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post on Sunday: “Alina has been a tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Law, and an invaluable Advisor to my Campaign and Transition Team,” Trump wrote.

“She has been unwavering in her loyalty, and unmatched in her resolve—standing with me through numerous ‘trials,’ battles, and countless days in Court. Few understand the Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System better than Alina, who has fought relentlessly against the full force of Lawfare with courage and an unshakable commitment to Justice.”

Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team via email for comment.

Born in Summit, New Jersey, Habba is the daughter of Iraqi immigrants and graduated from Lehigh University and Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

Trump became acquainted with Habba after she joined his Bedminster Golf Club in 2019. She founded her own firm, Habba, Madaio and Associates, in 2020.

In 2021, Trump recruited Habba to his legal team out of relative obscurity, replacing well-established lawyer Marc E. Kasowitz who had withdrawn his services after years of working for Trump.

That year, Habba filed a $100 million case against The New York Times and Trump’s niece Mary L. Trump, which was dismissed.

She also filed a defamation countersuit against former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who alleged Trump sexually harassed her. Habba’s countersuit was dropped after Zervos discontinued her case.

In 2022, Habba defended Trump in civil investigations by New York Attorney General Letitia James, unsuccessfully attempting to prevent his deposition. He was called to give evidence, and in the four-hour deposition, invoked the Fifth Amendment nearly 450 times.

In January 2023, Judge Donald Middlebrooks ordered Trump and Habba to jointly pay nearly $938,000 in legal costs for filing a series of “frivolous” lawsuits against the perceived political enemies of the former president.

Middlebrooks said the suits were “drafted to advance a political narrative” and should “never have been brought.”

“Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim.”

In January 2024, Habba served as lead counsel in E. Jean Carroll’s federal case.

During the trial, the judge frequently reprimanded Habba for being argumentative and violating basic rules of the court. The jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages against Trump.

During Trump’s criminal trial in New York, which stemmed from a hush-money payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, Habba became his “legal spokesperson,” as she does not practice criminal law and could not represent him in the case.

In addition to her legal work, Habba has worked for MAGA, Inc., Trump’s super PAC, and was part of his 2024 election campaign, where she was paid as a senior adviser.

She was a featured speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention and was with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Club on election night.