Trump's Former Lawyer Alina Habba Faces Disciplinary Action Over Waitress' Sexual Harassment Settlement at His Golf Club
Alina Habba is facing a New Jersey ethics complaint over a s*xual harassment settlement at Trump’s Bedminster golf club
Nov. 11 2026, Published 4:14 p.m. ET
Donald Trump's former personal attorney Alina Habba is facing potential professional discipline over her handling of a sexual harassment complaint brought by a former waitress at the president's Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The state's Office of Attorney Ethics filed a disciplinary complaint on November 10, 2026, alleging that Habba had a conflict of interest while helping negotiate a settlement between the club and former employee Alice Bianco in 2021.
Investigators also questioned her role in arranging a nondisclosure agreement that restricted Bianco from discussing her allegations.
The case centers on Habba's involvement in securing a $15,000 settlement for Bianco, who later pursued legal action against Habba and the golf club.
That subsequent lawsuit ended in a $400,000 settlement, according to reports by The New York Times and Reuters.
Alina Habba Accused of Conflict of Interest While Handling Alice Bianco's Complaint
She helped a 21-year-old waitress settle for just $15,000 after the woman dropped her own lawyer
According to the disciplinary filing, Bianco was 21 when she began working as a server at the Bedminster club on May 12, 2021.
She accused her supervisor, food and beverage manager Pavel Melichar, of sexually harassing her, including allegedly demanding sex in exchange for continued employment and protection.
Habba, who was a paying member of the club, became involved after learning about the allegations. Ethics investigators alleged that she approached Bianco after speaking with the club's general counsel but failed to disclose that conversation.
The complaint further alleged that Habba's interactions with Bianco created an implied attorney-client relationship while she had competing personal interests.
Investigators pointed to her financial ties to the club, noting that she paid more than $156,000 in membership dues between 2020 and 2025.
The ethics office also questioned whether Habba properly identified her role in the negotiations, particularly because she maintained that she was acting as an independent intermediary rather than Bianco's attorney.
Waitress Allegedly Dropped Her Lawyer Before Accepting $15,000 Settlement
Habba was a paying member of the club and never clearly told the waitress she wasn’t her attorney
The complaint detailed how Habba allegedly encouraged Bianco to stop working with her original attorney. Text messages included in the filing showed the two communicating directly about the dispute, with Habba reportedly sharing negative information about the lawyer.
Bianco eventually accepted a $15,000 settlement from the golf club in August 2021. The ethics complaint described the terms as "favorable to the golf club and unfavorable to Bianco."
Habba maintained that she was simply trying to help both sides resolve the disagreement. During an interview with investigators, she reportedly explained that her "job was to make everybody happy and make this move along so that everyone could get along with their lives."
However, Johanna Barba Jones, director of the Office of Attorney Ethics, rejected that characterization, concluding that Habba "could not have been a neutral in this matter."
The ethics office also examined whether Habba's involvement violated professional rules governing conflicts of interest and attorneys serving as third-party neutrals.
Illegal NDA and Subsequent $400,000 Settlement
The settlement included a nondisclosure agreement that New Jersey law doesn’t allow in harassment cases
Habba's law partner, Michael Madaio, prepared the settlement paperwork and nondisclosure agreement, which Bianco signed on August 11, 2021, according to the complaint.
The agreement included provisions imposing significant financial penalties if Bianco disclosed information about her allegations. Investigators argued that those terms violated New Jersey law.
The state had enacted legislation in 2019 prohibiting provisions in employment contracts and settlement agreements that conceal details of workplace discrimination, retaliation, or harassment claims.
Such confidentiality provisions are considered unenforceable against current or former employees under the law.
Bianco subsequently retained attorney Nancy Erika Smith, who challenged the agreement and pursued legal action against the golf club and Habba. The lawsuit ultimately resulted in a $400,000 settlement, according to The New York Times.
The ethics investigation also examined Habba's financial recordkeeping practices.
The complaint included allegations concerning her failure to maintain required attorney and law-firm financial records, adding a separate professional misconduct issue to the conflict-of-interest allegations.
Habba's Attorney Responds as Disciplinary Proceedings Move Forward
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The waitress later got $400,000 after suing over the deal
Habba's attorney, Kim D. Ringler, described the complaint as "the first step in a long process."
"The claims are narrow, and we will work together to reach a fair and proportionate result, given the relatively less serious claims of professional misconduct from 2021," Ringler said.
Smith, who represented Bianco, took a considerably different position.
"She's unethical and she should be disbarred," she said, expressing her view on the appropriate outcome of the case.
The complaint will now proceed before a special ethics adjudicator, who will conduct a hearing and recommend any appropriate disciplinary action. Potential penalties range from an admonition to disbarment, although the New Jersey Supreme Court will make the final decision.
Habba, who also previously served as New Jersey's U.S. attorney, has not received a final disciplinary ruling in the matter. The allegations remain subject to the proceedings, and no final finding of professional misconduct has been issued.
