Maurene Comey, a federal lawyer who efficiently prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell, is difficult her abrupt July firing in a lawsuit filed Monday, placing President Donald Trump’s sweeping claims of presidential authority to the check.
Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey—who was fired by Trump in 2017 for investigating his alleged ties to Russian election interference—was amongst a number of high-profile federal officers dismissed with out clarification.
Maurene Comey, a federal lawyer who was abruptly fired by the Trump administration in July, is now suing for her job, again pay, and authorized charges.
In her swimsuit, she means that her termination could have been politically motivated—presumably linked to her father’s public criticism of Trump.
“All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else,” U.S. Legal professional Jay Clayton reportedly advised her, in line with the lawsuit.
Comey’s attorneys argue that rank-and-file prosecutors are protected underneath civil service legal guidelines, and that firing her with out trigger, discover, or a chance to contest was illegal.
“Assistant United States attorneys like Ms. Comey must do their jobs without fearing or favoring any political party or perspective, guided solely by the law, the facts, and the pursuit of justice,” the lawsuit reads. “Neither the president nor the Department of Justice has unlimited authority to remove [prosecutors].”
Comey’s firing suits a broader sample. Since retaking workplace, Trump has repeatedly eliminated profession officers deemed insufficiently loyal to his agenda, from Justice Division prosecutors to Nationwide Safety Council employees.
Different firings, coinciding with Trump’s aggressive anti-DEI push, have impacted outstanding Black officers, together with former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. A lot of these dismissed have filed lawsuits, usually citing the strain between presidential energy and civil service protections.
A ten-year veteran of the Manhattan U.S. lawyer’s workplace, Comey is broadly thought to be one of many bureau’s high trial legal professionals. She led the prosecution that convicted Maxwell for sex-trafficking minors alongside Epstein, securing a 20-year jail sentence. She additionally prosecuted Sean “Diddy” Combs on prostitution-related prices, profitable some convictions regardless of acquittals on different counts.
James Comey, former FBI director and father of Maurene Comey.
Her firing drew consideration partly due to the timing. The White Home had confronted criticism for its gradual launch of the Epstein recordsdata, prompting accusations that Trump was masking up the total scope of his ties to Epstein. Final month, Maxwell was moved to a lower-security jail in Texas after assembly with Trump officers—a transfer that some Democrats described as a “cover-up.”
The lawsuit contends that Comey was dismissed in retaliation for “her father’s protected speech” or her “perceived political affiliation,” noting that Trump ally and far-right activist Laura Loomer publicly known as for her firing and even celebrated afterward.
Trump has traditionally relied on Article II of the Structure to justify sweeping dismissals, citing broad presidential powers. Comey’s swimsuit argues that civil service protections and longstanding statutes restrict such authority, and that the president can’t hearth rank-and-file prosecutors at will.
However for Comey, the stakes are excessive. She’s looking for reinstatement, again pay, and authorized charges, whereas asking the courts to make sure that the Trump administration can’t act towards her with out due course of.
Past her private struggle, the case raises greater questions in regards to the independence of federal prosecutors. It may power the courts to reply how far a president can go in firing profession officers earlier than crossing into illegal retaliation.
Whereas Comey is likely to be probably the most high-profile instance, she’s removed from alone. Trump has repeatedly cleared out anybody who received’t fall consistent with his agenda—and the authorized and political fallout continues to be taking part in out throughout Washington.
The result may set a precedent for shielding federal prosecutors and profession officers—and supply a glimpse into how Trump’s strategy to governance impacts the independence of the federal forms.
