Ethics Complaint Puts Alina Habba’s Law License at Risk
On November 10, 2026, a complaint from New Jersey’s Office of Attorney Ethics accused Alina Habba of mishandling a sexual harassment dispute involving Alice Bianco, a 21-year-old server at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Bianco had accused a club manager of harassment. The complaint seeks disciplinary proceedings that could put Habba’s law license at risk; the state Supreme Court will decide any penalty.
Ethics officials allege Habba, a club member, befriended Bianco and persuaded her to dismiss her lawyer and accept $15,000. The complaint says Habba’s conduct created an implied attorney-client relationship and that the settlement undervalued Bianco’s claim. It also challenges a nondisclosure agreement prepared by Habba’s law partner, noting that New Jersey law bars such agreements in workplace harassment cases.
Habba told investigators she was acting as a neutral intermediary. The complaint says she acknowledged in a 2024 interview that her conduct violated professional rules, and faults her for changing accounts about whether Trump had asked her to handle the matter. It also accuses her of failing to maintain required firm records.
Bianco later retained attorney Nancy Erika Smith and obtained an $82,500 settlement from the club. The complaint says the club and Habba ultimately paid Bianco $400,000 in total. Smith has called for Habba to be disbarred.
The ethics office recommends that the case go to a hearing, where possible sanctions will be considered. Outcomes could range from a reprimand to disbarment. Habba later represented Trump in civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll cases and served as New Jersey’s acting U.S. attorney for much of 2025; courts found she held that federal post unlawfully. Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Habba Faces Discipline Over Harassment Settlement and NDA
On November 10, 2026, New Jersey attorney ethics officials brought a complaint that places the treatment of a young harassment claimant at the center of a disciplinary case against Alina Habba. The complaint alleges Habba helped Alice Bianco, then a 21-year-old server at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, abandon her lawyer and accept just $15,000 for claims against a club manager.
The complaint says Habba was a club member, her actions led Bianco to reasonably regard her as a lawyer, and she helped arrange a nondisclosure agreement despite New Jersey’s ban on NDAs in workplace harassment cases. Officials allege the agreement could expose Bianco to substantial financial consequences if she spoke publicly. Their allegations raise serious questions about the protections available to workers facing harassment and about the conduct of lawyers involved in resolving those claims.
Habba has said she acted as a neutral intermediary. However, the complaint reports that she conceded in a 2024 interview that her conduct violated professional rules and also faults her for changing accounts about whether Trump asked her to handle the dispute. It additionally alleges she failed to keep required records at her firm.
Bianco later hired Nancy Erika Smith and secured an $82,500 settlement from the club. The complaint says the club and Habba ultimately paid Bianco $400,000 in total. Smith has urged that Habba be disbarred.
The ethics office recommends a hearing, after which New Jersey’s Supreme Court will decide whether to impose a penalty. Possible outcomes include a reprimand or disbarment. Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Habba’s License Faces Threat Before Court Decides Ethics Case
On November 10, 2026, New Jersey ethics officials accused Alina Habba of misconduct in a settlement involving a server at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. The complaint could threaten her law license, but it is an allegation, not a final ruling: the state Supreme Court will decide whether discipline is warranted.
Officials say Habba, a club member, befriended Alice Bianco, then 21, and persuaded her to drop her lawyer and take $15,000 over allegations of harassment by a club manager. They also challenge a nondisclosure agreement prepared by Habba’s law partner, which they say violated New Jersey law. Habba told investigators she was a neutral intermediary.
The complaint says Habba acknowledged in a 2024 interview that her conduct violated professional rules, and it criticizes her changing accounts about whether Trump asked her to handle the matter. It also accuses her of inadequate firm recordkeeping. Those claims will now face a hearing; possible sanctions range from a reprimand to disbarment.
Bianco later retained lawyer Nancy Erika Smith and secured an $82,500 payment from the club. The complaint says the club and Habba paid her $400,000 altogether. Smith has called for Habba to be disbarred, but the ultimate decision rests with the state Supreme Court.
Habba later represented Trump in civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll cases and served as New Jersey’s acting U.S. attorney for much of 2025. Courts found she held that federal position unlawfully. Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reported by Raw Story, The Daily Beast, The Philadelphia Inquirer, MSNBC.
