A federal judge has ruled that the US Justice Department acted unlawfully in the 2025 termination of federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI director James Comey. Judge Jesse Furman determined that the firing violated both the US Constitution and the prosecutor’s right to a fair legal process.
During his ruling, Judge Furman emphasized that while the US attorney general holds the authority to fire federal prosecutors, such actions must be executed “in a particular manner and only for certain reasons.” He ordered the government to provide back pay covering the period from July 2025, when she was fired, until December 2025, when she secured new employment.
Maurene Comey had initiated legal action against the government, alleging she was dismissed specifically due to her father’s status as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and her own perceived political leanings. In previous court documents, her legal team argued the termination was “solely or substantially” influenced by her father’s identity or her personal political beliefs.
In contrast, court filings from the Justice Department maintained that the decision to fire her was made by former Attorney General Pam Bondi. A spokesperson for the department indicated they disagree with the court’s findings and “will appeal in due course.”
Highlighting her professional record, Judge Furman noted that Comey had been assigned some of the nation’s highest-profile cases and consistently earned top accolades from her peers and supervisors. Her notable casework included prosecutions of the late Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, the latter of whom was convicted last year on prostitution-related charges.
Reflecting on her departure, Comey previously testified that the only explanation she received for her termination was that the directive “came from Washington.” Representing her interests, her lawyers described the ruling as a “hard-earned victory” for both their client and civil servants working to uphold the rule of law.
The broader tension between the administration and the Comey family includes multiple legal clashes. The Trump administration has twice attempted to bring charges against James Comey, including allegations of lying to Congress, though a judge dismissed those cases due to the unlawful appointment of the prosecuting official.
Additionally, James Comey faced separate Justice Department charges this year for allegedly threatening to kill or harm the president. The justice department charged Comey with knowingly and wilfully making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm, on the president, earlier this year.
These charges are rooted in a 2025 Instagram post where he shared a photo of seashells on a beach arranged to spell “86 47. Prosecutors argued the term “eighty-six” is a slang reference for “getting rid of” someone, thereby encouraging violence against President Trump. James Comey has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
