Prosecutor in Epstein case sues Trump administration for abrupt firing

Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who worked on cases involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean Combs, on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over her dismissal earlier this summer, according to CNN.

Her case adds to the ongoing legal battle over how the Justice Department has treated career officials.

Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, claims in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan that she was not given an explanation for her firing.

She argues that the decision was retaliatory, linked to her father's identity.

"Ms. Comey's termination—carried out without cause, prior notice, or a chance to challenge it—was unlawful and unconstitutional," she stated in her lawsuit.

There was no valid reason for her removal, contending instead that she was dismissed primarily because of her father's position as former FBI Director James B. Comey, her perceived political leanings, or both, she added.

She joins other federal employees ousted by the Trump administration who are pursuing legal action to regain their jobs or receive compensation, contesting the administration's broad removal of FBI personnel and prosecutors carried out without proper notice or adherence to legal standards.

The Justice Department and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to provide a statement, CNN added.

According to the lawsuit, Comey received an email shortly before 5 pm on July 16 informing her that she had been dismissed "pursuant to Article II of the US Constitution."

She contends that no explanation was offered for her removal, despite nearly 10 years of strong performance evaluations and a record of promotions.

"All I can say is it came from Washington. I can't tell you anything else," Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, told Comey, according to the lawsuit.

"We don't know who actually made the decision," Ellen Blain, an attorney for Comey, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Monday.

"We don't know why the lever was pulled, but we do know that there was no good cause to fire Maurene Comey, who has been an excellent AUSA in the southern district for a decade."