Judge Orders Reinstatement of Comey Daughter After Illegal Firing

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate Maurene Comey as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and pay her back wages, ruling her 2025 dismissal was illegal ^[1]. US District Judge Jesse Furman delivered a 55-page decision stating that the Justice Department violated constitutional principles, including the separation of powers and due process ^[4]. Comey, who served as an assistant U.S. attorney since 2015, was fired in July 2025 after leading high-profile prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean “Diddy” Combs ^[2].

The judge rejected the administration’s claim that Article II of the Constitution grants the president unlimited power to fire federal prosecutors, calling the argument a threat to the nation’s constitutional balance ^[3]. Furman emphasized that Congress has long regulated the removal of so-called inferior officers, citing nearly two centuries of precedent ^[4]. He ruled the firing violated the Civil Service Reform Act and Comey’s Fifth Amendment rights.

Comey sued the Justice Department, alleging she was targeted because of her father’s adversarial relationship with President Trump, who has repeatedly called for James Comey’s imprisonment ^[2]. The administration admitted she received “outstanding” performance reviews from 2019 to 2024 but claimed the firing was lawful under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi’s authority ^[4].

Furman allowed the case to proceed despite the government’s attempt to force Comey to first appeal through the Merit Systems Protection Board, noting the case rested on constitutional grounds, not civil service law ^[4]. The judge ordered reinstatement and back pay through December 20, when Comey accepted a new role. Her attorneys hailed the decision as a victory for the rule of law and civil service protections ^[2].

The ruling adds to a growing wave of legal challenges against the Trump administration’s mass firings of career federal employees, particularly those involved in investigations of the president ^[2]. James Comey, meanwhile, awaits trial in January 2027 on federal charges of threatening the president, a case he says is politically motivated; this claim has not been confirmed ^[1]. The story was first reported by New York Post and Mirror.