Maurene Comey, a prominent federal prosecutor and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been dismissed from her position at the U.S. Department of Justice, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The firing, which occurred without formal explanation, marks a politically charged development in an already tense relationship between former and current officials from the Trump and Comey camps.
Comey, who served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, played key roles in high-profile prosecutions including those of Ghislaine Maxwell — the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein — and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Her termination was reportedly carried out via a memo referencing the president’s authority under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, granting the executive branch broad power over federal appointments and dismissals. No specific cause for the dismissal was provided.
The Justice Department has not commented on the matter, and Maurene Comey could not be reached for a statement. The news was first reported by Politico and ABC News.
Her father, James Comey, was fired as FBI director by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2017 amid tensions over the bureau’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Both James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan are now under federal investigation, according to Trump officials, in connection with the origins of the Russia probe. Trump has frequently and publicly denounced both men, accusing them of orchestrating a “witch hunt” against him.
Maurene Comey garnered national attention for her work on the Ghislaine Maxwell case, which resulted in Maxwell’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence in 2022 for aiding Epstein in the sexual abuse of underage girls. Her role in that case, widely seen as emblematic of efforts to bring accountability to powerful figures associated with Epstein, had earned her both praise and scrutiny.
More recently, Comey served as a lead prosecutor in the sex trafficking case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. The music mogul was convicted of charges related to transporting women across state lines for drug-fueled sexual performances and remains in federal custody ahead of his sentencing scheduled for October 3. While he was acquitted of the most severe charges, his conviction marked another high-profile success for Comey and her team.
The Justice Department’s decision to terminate Comey comes amid a broader wave of dismissals targeting prosecutors who have worked on politically sensitive cases involving Trump or his associates. On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed several DOJ officials connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Comey’s removal is likely to fuel concerns about political interference within the Justice Department, especially as Trump continues to wield executive authority over federal law enforcement while campaigning for re-election. The move also comes just days after the Trump administration reversed its prior pledge to release sealed Epstein-related documents — a reversal that has angered some of the former president’s most fervent supporters, who had expected revelations about Epstein’s connections to elite figures.
