Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who worked on cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, has filed a lawsuit challenging her abrupt termination as politically motivated retaliation against her father, former FBI director James Comey.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, alleges that the US justice department fired Comey without cause or explanation on 16 July, citing only 'article 2 of the United States constitution and the laws of the United States' in a brief email. When she asked for a reason, interim US attorney Jay Clayton told her: 'All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else.'
Just three months before her termination, the 35-year-old prosecutor received a glowing performance review from the same attorney who later delivered the news of her firing, the lawsuit claims. Her removal came after a sustained pressure campaign by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who in May posted on X calling for the firing of James Comey's 'liberal daughter'.
The lawsuit seeks Comey's reinstatement, back pay and a declaration that her termination violated the constitution. The Trump administration has argued that article 2 grants unlimited presidential removal authority over career prosecutors, but the lawsuit claims it violates constitutional separation of powers and federal service protections.
In a farewell email to colleagues, Comey said: 'If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decision of those who remain. Do not let that happen.'
