Steinhardt turns down U.S. Attorney post

Douglas Steinhardt has turned down an interim appointment to serve as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.

President Donald Trump offered the post to Steinhardt last month, and he was expected to be sworn in as acting U.S. Attorney in early February.  But Steinhardt told the White House that his long-term commitment to his constituents as a state senator from the 23rd legislative district and separating himself from his law firm prevented him from taking the job, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

Interim appointments are capped at 120 days, and if the U.S. Senate didn’t confirm Steinhardt by then, he would have given up his State Senate seat and separated himself from his law firm for a four-month stint.  There were no guarantees that a majority of the state’s seventeen U.S. District Court judges would vote to appoint him after the 120 days.

Both of New Jersey’s U.S. Senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, told the New Jersey Globe this week that they had not yet had conversations with the Trump administration about the U.S. Attorney post.  Either of the senators could have held up his nomination using a blue slip, the federal version of senatorial courtesy.

Steinhardt was offered the post two days before Trump’s inauguration and cleared a background check before deciding he would not accept the appointment.

Vikas Khanna, who became acting U.S. Attorney on January 8 following Philip Sellinger’s resignation, can remain in office until May 8.

His decision means there will be no special election for his State Senate seat; Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio quickly cleared the field to succeed Steinhardt, and some Republicans had already launched campaigns for DiMaio’s Assembly seat.  In Trenton, some GOP lawmakers had begun discussions about a new minority leader, and former Republican State Chairman Michael Lavery had emerged as the likely successor to Steinhardt as Warren County Republican chairman.

A former fifteen-year mayor of Lopatcong, Steinhardt is a former Republican State Chairman and briefly sought the GOP nomination for governor in 2021.   He is at partner Florio Perrucci, a major New Jersey law firm; for many years, his law partner was former Democratic Gov. Jim Florio.

It’s unclear who will emerge as Trump’s next choice.

The transition team had considered four other candidates: State Sen. Michael Testa, Jr. (R-Vineland), Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), former Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott McBride, and Andrew Carey, a former Middlesex County Prosecutor and, since 2019, the counsel to the U.S. Attorney’s office.  McBride and Carey both have ties to former Gov. Chris Christie – they worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office when Christie held that post – and McBride had contributed to Christie’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Steinhardt declined to comment.