Maurene Comey sued the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday, asking a federal judge to order her reinstated to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and to declare that her July removal was unlawful. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, she alleges the firing was politically motivated and tied to her father, former FBI Director James Comey, or to her perceived political beliefs.
The suit says Comey was preparing for an October sentencing in the high-profile Sean “Diddy” Combs matter when she was abruptly removed. The complaint contends the Justice Department provided no legitimate explanation for the move and argues the firing violated constitutional protections.
Comey served as a prosecutor in the powerful Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and worked on several high-profile cases, including the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was convicted and later sentenced to 20 years in prison following a trial in which Comey played a role, the complaint notes. The suit states Comey also handled significant aspects of the Combs prosecution.
The filing quotes Comey as saying, “In truth, there is no legitimate explanation,” and characterizes her removal as “unconstitutional.” It asks the court to reinstate her effective immediately and to rule that the White House did not have legal authority to remove her from her position at the Manhattan office.
The Justice Department has not publicly provided a reason for Comey’s dismissal. The complaint asserts the decision was made in July and links the timing to her work on the Combs case.
Maurene Comey is the daughter of James Comey, the former FBI director who was dismissed by President Donald Trump in 2017 and who clashed publicly with the president during his first term. The complaint alleges that officials involved in her removal were aware of her familial connection and that it influenced the decision, as well as her perceived political affiliations and beliefs.
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office is among the nation’s most prominent federal prosecutor’s offices, handling complex financial, organized crime and other major cases. The complaint frames the removal as an intrusion on prosecutorial independence and seeks declaratory relief in addition to reinstatement.
The suit represents a legal escalation in a case that intersects with broader debates over political influence in federal law enforcement appointments. It asks the federal court to resolve whether the White House had the authority to remove a line prosecutor from a U.S. Attorney’s Office and whether the action violated Constitutional protections.
The complaint was filed Monday in Manhattan federal court and the case is ongoing. The Justice Department has not filed a public response. The lawsuit noted that Comey’s removal occurred as she was preparing for the sentencing phase in the Combs case, and it seeks immediate reinstatement so she can resume her role in the office while the legal challenge proceeds.