Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her role as a federal prosecutor in the United States.
Comey, who worked on high-profile cases involving Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs, expressed her concerns about the implications of her termination in a memo to her colleagues. She emphasized that the firing of a career prosecutor without reason could instill fear into the decisions of remaining prosecutors, stating, “Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.”
Comey’s dismissal comes amid criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Attorney General Pam Bondi has faced pressure from some segments of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base for not releasing more evidence related to Epstein’s alleged crimes. Right-wing personalities like Laura Loomer had publicly called for Comey’s firing, which adds to the controversy surrounding her termination.
The firing of Maurene Comey has raised concerns about the independence of the Justice Department. Critics argue that the Trump administration’s decision to terminate career prosecutors like Comey erodes the department’s ability to function impartially. Many point out that career civil servants do not choose their cases and serve under whichever presidential administration is in office, regardless of politics.
In her memo, Comey urged her fellow prosecutors to stand firm against abuses of power and to seek justice for victims. She wrote, “Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place… A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.”
Maurene Comey’s father, James Comey, was fired by Trump early in his first term as president. James Comey had overseen an investigation into alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race. The elder Comey has remained a subject of Trump’s ire, with Trump accusing him of treason and a “hoax” that shadowed much of his first term.
The Trump administration has sought to purge Department of Justice employees involved in cases Trump disagreed with, including prosecutors who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions against Trump. Both cases were dropped when Trump was re-elected in November 2024, as it is against the Justice Department’s policies to prosecute a sitting president.