A federal prosecutor who led high-profile cases, including against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has taken her former employer to court, alleging she was terminated as an act of political vengeance against her well-known father.
Lawsuit Claims Firing Was Retaliation for Father's Role
Maurene Comey, an assistant US attorney, was dismissed from her role in July, shortly after securing a guilty verdict in the prostitution-related trial of music mogul Sean Combs. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan's federal court, she contends the Trump-era Department of Justice fired her without legitimate cause.
Her legal claim states the termination was "solely or substantially because her father is former FBI director James B Comey". The dismissal email she received allegedly cited only a vague reference to the US constitution and federal laws, providing no specific explanation for her immediate removal.
Comey asserts that when she asked US attorney Jay Clayton for a reason, he told her, "All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else." This came just three months after she received an exemplary performance review from the same office.
Legal Battle Over Evidence and Jurisdiction
At a procedural hearing on Thursday 21st May, which lasted under an hour, Comey's legal team pushed to begin the discovery process. This phase would force both sides to exchange evidence related to the dispute.
However, attorneys for the US government argued that an employment arbitration board, where Comey has also filed a complaint, should first assess her allegations of unjust termination. The presiding judge indicated he might delay discovery until deciding whether federal court or the arbitration board is the correct venue.
Comey's lawyers insisted the evidence is the same for both proceedings and should be provided immediately. Nicole Gueron, one of Comey's attorneys, emphasised the severe reputational damage caused by an abrupt firing, stating it "implies some kind of wrongdoing, some kind of misconduct, some kind of incompetence."
She suggested the government could start by disclosing limited information, such as documents identifying who decided to fire Comey and why.
Broader Political Feud and Constitutional Claims
The lawsuit seeks more than just reinstatement and back pay. Comey asks the court to declare that defendants, including the Department of Justice and Trump's attorney general Pam Bondi, violated the separation of powers and her constitutional rights.
The case is set against the backdrop of a deep, public feud between Donald Trump and her father. James Comey was fired as FBI director by Trump in 2017 and has since been a frequent target of the former president's criticism.
In a separate but related legal drama, James Comey was indicted in September for allegedly lying to Congress during 2020 testimony about the Russia investigation. A federal judge dismissed that indictment in November, ruling that the prosecutor handling the case was unlawfully appointed.
Following that dismissal, James Comey stated the prosecution was "based on malevolence and incompetence" and sent a message that a president "cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies."
Maurene Comey's case now directly tests that principle, alleging her own career was collateral damage in the same political conflict.
