TRENTON, N.J. — President Donald Trump has appointed State Sen. Douglas J. Steinhardt as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday and the process didn’t go without some meddling from America’s most notorious anti-Trump talking head, former Governor Chris Christie, allegedly.
Steinhardt, 56, has served in the State Senate since 2022 and previously chaired the New Jersey Republican Party during Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. A staunch Trump ally, he briefly ran for governor in 2021. He is currently a partner at Florio Perrucci, a New Jersey law firm where he once worked alongside former Democratic Gov. Jim Florio.
Steinhardt was selected over four other candidates: State Sen. Michael Testa Jr., Assemblyman Jay Webber, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott McBride, and Andrew Carey, a former Middlesex County prosecutor. Former U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito had advocated for Steinhardt and Testa, while former Attorney General Christopher Porrino backed McBride.
Christie thought he was pushing around his weight and influence on the selection, but that weight ultimately sunk the ships of the candidates he lobbied for.
The former governor, despite his strained relationship with Trump, ultimately hurt McBride and Carey’s chances, according to a report in the New Jersey Globe.
Steinhardt’s appointment positions him as a key federal prosecutor in New Jersey as Trump continues to shape the Justice Department under his administration. Steinhardt had been a staunch supporter of President Trump and served as the New Jersey GOP Chairman.
“Doug as has been a strong advocate for Hunterdon County in Trenton & will be a top-notch US Attorney for New Jersey,” the Hunterdon County GOP said of the nomination.
