A Manhattan federal judge ruled that Maureen Comey was unlawfully fired by the Trump administration in July 2025. Judge Jesse M. Furman of Federal District Court determined the Justice Department violated separation of powers, federal administrative law, and Ms. Comey’s due process rights.
At the time of her firing, Ms. Comey was a respected trial lawyer in the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, handling high-profile prosecutions including those of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean Combs. She argued her termination was retaliatory, tied to her father James B. Comey’s tenure as FBI director and her perceived political beliefs.
The Justice Department defended the firing under Article II powers and attorney general authority, but Judge Furman rejected that rationale, warning it would unsettle constitutional equilibrium. He awarded Ms. Comey back pay through December 2025 but declined to rule on her First Amendment retaliation claim, requesting further arguments. The decision may set precedent for other federal employees challenging politically motivated terminations. Ms. Comey, who personally handled 11 trials and secured over 200 convictions, joined Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler as a litigation partner after her firing.
The Justice Department said it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing