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Man Under Arrest for Vandalizing Office of Acting U.S. Attorney Appointed by Trump

Keith Michael Lisa was arrested for allegedly vandalizing Alina Habba’s office. Here's everything you need to know about the case.

By Vaishnavi Shetye

A man accused of vandalizing the office of an acting U.S. Attorney appointed by Trump has been arrested. Law enforcement had been on the lookout for him after he was caught trying to enter the office with a bat in tow.

On November 12, Keith Michael Lisa showed up at the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building in Newark. The FBI’s official website revealed that he had a bat in his possession while attempting to enter the federal building.

Lisa later returned without the bat and proceeded to trash federal property in the waiting area. He then fled the scene only to be arrested two days later. “After being denied entry, he discarded the bat and returned. Once inside the building, he proceeded to [acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba’s office] where he damaged government property,” the statement from the FBI read. A day after the incident, on November 13, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Lisa. The release also revealed that he was charged with “possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property.” FBI spokesperson Emily Molinari shared that the 51-year-old man had been taken into custody on the day after, according to a report by Associated Press. General Attorney Pam Bondi took to X (formerly known as X) to share the news of the arrest while issuing a warning. Bondi gave credit to the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and Department of Homeland Security for the arrest. “No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great US Attorneys or the destruction of their offices,” she added in the post. Habba also took to social media to thank the federal agencies for their quick response to the situation. "This @TheJusticeDept under @AGPamBondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement,” she wrote. The acting U.S. attorney went on to thank the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshal's department for their “tireless work to capture him.” She pointed out how “justice” would handle Lisa from then on. Alina Habba has served as a member of Trump’s legal team since his 2024 presidential campaign. The President himself appointed her as the acting/interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The decision was found to be a questionable one, with a federal judge even ruling it as “unlawful.” Associated Press reports that Habba has disputed the ruling.

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