A federal judge has ruled that the US justice department unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor and the daughter of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey. Judge Jesse Furman ordered on Monday that the Trump administration must reinstate her and provide back pay.
Legal Ruling and Background
Maurene Comey lost her position as a federal prosecutor in New York in July 2025 and subsequently sued the government. She argued that her termination was unlawful and stemmed from her father’s criticism of US President Donald Trump, as well as her perceived political affiliations.
In his decision, Judge Furman stated that the dismissal violated the US Constitution along with her right to a fair legal process. While acknowledging that the US attorney general holds the authority to fire federal prosecutors, the judge emphasized that such dismissals can occur only in a specific manner and for permitted reasons.
Judge Furman noted that throughout her tenure, she managed some of the nation’s most prominent cases and continually earned top praise from supervisors and colleagues. Her notable casework includes prosecutions against late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was convicted last year on prostitution-related charges connected to two former girlfriends.
The court ordered the justice department to issue back pay covering the period from July until December 2025, the month she accepted alternative employment. A spokesperson for the justice department stated that the agency disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.
Legal Complaints and Related Cases
According to court filings submitted by her lawyers in September 2025, Maurene Comey was informed that the directive for her termination originated directly from Washington. The legal team maintained that the firing happened solely or substantially because of her father or her perceived political beliefs.
Court filings from the justice department indicated that former Attorney General Pam Bondi made the termination decision. Legal representatives for Comey responded to the latest ruling in a statement, saying, “This hard-earned victory belongs to Ms Comey, to all civil servants, and to all fighting for the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pursued various charges against James Comey on three occasions. A previous charge alleging he lied to Congress was dismissed after a judge found the prosecuting attorney was unlawfully appointed. Additional charges were filed earlier this year involving allegations that he threatened the life and bodily harm of the president via a 2025 Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to spell “86 47″—with “eighty-six” interpreted by prosecutors as a slang term encouraging violence. Federal prosecutors also filed charges against James Comey on Monday for allegedly leaking national defence information, though he has denied any wrongdoing.
