Judge says DOJ illegally fired the daughter of former FBI director Comey
A federal judge has ruled that the Justice Department acted unlawfully when it fired former prosecutor Maurene Comey in 2025. The court found that the dismissal violated her due process rights and was based on an expansive, improper theory of executive power.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights ongoing legal and political tensions regarding the independence of the Department of Justice and the limits of executive authority.
A New York federal judge ruled Monday that the Justice Department unlawfully fired former prosecutor Maurene Comey, who is the daughter of ex-FBI Director James Comey .
Maurene Comey served as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan for around a decade, working on high-profile cases against defendants like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The Trump Justice Department fired her in July 2025 despite her consistently receiving accolades from the department for her work.
In response, she sued the Justice Department and others, arguing that her dismissal was unlawful and unconstitutional. Her lawsuit said she was fired because her father is the former FBI director, a prominent critic of President Trump.
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in