Fired federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sues Trump administration to get her job back
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- Comey alleged in her lawsuit that she was fired for political reasons.
- Her father, former FBI Director James Comey, has been critical of Trump and continues to publicly criticize him and his administration.
NEW YORK — Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sued the U.S. government Monday to get her job back, saying her firing was for political reasons and was unconstitutional.
Her lawsuit in Manhattan federal court blamed the firing on the fact that her father is James Comey, a former FBI director, “or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.”
Comey is seeking to be reinstated as well as a declaration that her firing was unlawful and a violation of the “Separation of Powers” clause in the U.S. Constitution.
“Defendants have not provided any explanation whatsoever for terminating Ms. Comey. In truth, there is no legitimate explanation,” the lawsuit said.
Comey, who successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases since becoming an assistant U.S. attorney in 2015, was notified of her dismissal in an email with an attachment saying she was being fired “(p)ursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States,” the lawsuit said.
James Comey was fired as FBI director by President Trump in 2017. The lawsuit noted that he has since written a memoir critical of Trump and has continued to publicly criticize Trump and his administration, including a social media post in May that Trump and others perceived as threatening.
The lawsuit noted that Maurene Comey’s firing in July came the day after her supervisors had asked her to take the lead on a major public corruption case and three months after she’d received her latest “Outstanding” review.
“The politically motivated termination of Ms. Comey — ostensibly under ‘Article II of the Constitution’ — upends bedrock principles of our democracy and justice system,” the lawsuit said.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit were, among others, the Justice Department, the Executive Office of the President, U.S. Atty. Gen. Pamela Bondi, the Office of Personnel Management and the United States.
A message for comment from the Justice Department was not immediately returned.
Comey’s July 16 firing came amid a spate of dismissals of prosecutors by the Justice Department without explanation, raising alarm that civil service protections meant to prevent terminations for political reasons were being overlooked.
The Justice Department also has fired some prosecutors who worked on cases that have provoked Trump’s ire, including some who handled U.S. Capitol riot cases and lawyers and support staff who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions of Trump.
Neumeister writes for the Associated Press.
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