Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office who handled high-profile cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs, has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department over what she calls her “illegal” and politically motivated dismissal.
The suit, filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that her removal in July was tied to her father, former FBI Director James Comey, and to what she describes as “her perceived political affiliation and beliefs.”
James Comey was dismissed by President Trump in 2017 early in his first term, a decision that fueled years of political clashes.
Maurene Comey’s complaint states that she received notice of her termination on July 16 in an email from the Justice Department’s human resources office.
The message cited Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines the powers of the president, as the authority for her removal.
“There is no legitimate explanation,” Comey argued in her filing, which seeks her immediate reinstatement to the Manhattan office.
She is also asking a federal judge to declare that the White House lacked the legal authority to terminate her position.
The lawsuit references her role in prosecuting Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted on federal sex trafficking charges.
Comey also oversaw aspects of the prosecution of Combs, whose sentencing is scheduled for October.
After learning of her removal, Comey sought clarification from Jay Clayton, President Trump’s appointee to lead the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else,” Clayton told her, according to the lawsuit.
The legal action ties her dismissal to the controversy surrounding her father’s social media activity.
On May 9, 2017, James Comey was removed as FBI Director while overseeing an investigation into alleged contacts between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian officials.
This year, he drew further scrutiny when he posted, then deleted, an Instagram photo showing seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” The message was interpreted by some Trump supporters as a call for the removal of the 45th president.
The post led to an interview with the Secret Service in May, and some political figures demanded consequences for the younger Comey.
According to her lawsuit, internet personality Laura Loomer pushed for her firing.
The filing claims Loomer has influence within the Trump administration and cited her repeated public statements against Islam, including calling the religion a “cancer” and labeling herself a “#proudIslamophobe.”
“President Trump has publicly stated: ‘If you’re Loomered you’re in deep trouble. That’s the end of your career in a sense,’” the lawsuit reads, citing one of his past remarks.
Loomer reportedly urged the administration to remove Maurene Comey, describing her as a “national security risk via their proximity to a criminal [i.e., Mr. Comey] who just committed a felony by threatening to assassinate the President,” according to the court documents.
The Justice Department has not provided a public explanation for Maurene Comey’s dismissal.
The case now places one of the department’s former prosecutors, her politically prominent father, and Trump-era decisions back into the spotlight as the courts weigh whether the firing violated constitutional protections.
