Judge Finds Trump DOJ Illegally Fired James Comey’s Daughter
WHO:
Fox News - James Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, was a career federal prosecutor.
Alternet - U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled on Maurene Comey’s firing.
Alternet - President Donald Trump’s Justice Department fired Comey; she is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey.
IJR - Judge Furman ruled that the Department of Justice unlawfully fired Maurene Comey.
WHAT:
Alternet - Comey’s supervisors and colleagues had consistently praised her work.
Alternet - Furman warned that accepting the Justice Department’s broad reading of executive power would upset the country’s constitutional balance.
Fox News - A federal judge ruled that the Trump Justice Department fired Comey without cause, violating the Civil Service Reform Act, and ordered back pay.
Fox News - The judge rejected the administration’s broad Article II claim.
Alternet - Furman’s 55-page decision found that Comey’s removal breached the Civil Service Reform Act and rejected the administration’s argument that the president could fire her without following federal employment protections.
Alternet - Furman said the claim that Congress cannot limit the dismissal of federal prosecutors “flies in the face of nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent.”
Alternet - The ruling ordered Comey’s retroactive reinstatement and back pay, limited to the period before she accepted other employment; she was not required to leave her current job.
Alternet - The ruling found that her dismissal violated federal law, separation of powers, and her Fifth Amendment due process rights, but did not find that she was fired in retaliation for her father.
Alternet - Furman wrote, “And Comey’s removal indisputably violated the CSRA.”
IJR - The order required Comey’s reinstatement and back pay.
WHERE:
Alternet - Comey was employed at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Alternet - She worked on prosecutions involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
WHEN:
Alternet - The Justice Department fired Comey on July 16, 2025, after nearly 10 years as a career prosecutor.
Alternet - The reinstatement covered the period from her dismissal through Dec. 20, 2025.
IJR - Furman issued his ruling on Oct. 26, 2026.
WHY:
Alternet - The Justice Department’s email cited Article II of the Constitution but gave no reason related to Comey’s performance or conduct.
Alternet - The government conceded that Comey was not fired for performance reasons or for cause.
Alternet - Comey alleged that she was targeted because of her father or her perceived political views; the ruling did not establish retaliation.
HOW:
Alternet - Comey received an email from Justice Department officials in Washington, with no advance notice or opportunity to respond.
Alternet - Comey said Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office officials told her only that the firing decision came from Washington.
Alternet - Furman said the attorney general may remove assistant U.S. attorneys but must follow laws protecting career federal employees.
(UPDATED October 26, 2026 20:05 UTC)
A federal judge ruled that President Trump’s Justice Department unlawfully fired career prosecutor Maurene Comey without cause, violating federal employment protections and her due-process rights. Judge Jesse Furman rejected the administration’s claim that the president could dismiss her without following those laws, and ordered her reinstated retroactively with back pay, without requiring her to leave her current job. Comey, who worked on prosecutions involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs, was not found to have been fired in retaliation for her father, former FBI Director James Comey.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 19:21 UTC)
A federal judge ruled that President Trump’s Justice Department unlawfully fired career prosecutor Maurene Comey without cause, violating federal employment protections and ordering her reinstatement and back pay for the period before she took another job. Judge Jesse Furman rejected the administration’s claim that presidential authority allowed it to bypass those protections, finding the dismissal also violated Comey’s due process rights. Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, worked on cases involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs; the ruling did not find that she was fired in retaliation for her father.