Maurene Comey, a veteran federal prosecutor and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her post at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, according to multiple outlets including The New York Times, Politico, and ABC News.
Comey had spent the last decade handling high-profile cases, including those involving hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and convicted sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her dismissal, which has yet to be officially explained by the Department of Justice, comes amid escalating political pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Donald Trump, who have faced a wave of criticism from their own base over their handling of the Epstein investigation.
Sources familiar with the situation told The Times that President Trump had expressed discomfort with Maurene Comey’s continued presence in his administration, citing her family ties. James Comey, her father, was fired by Trump in 2017 and has long been accused by the president of launching the politically motivated Russia probe during his first term.
While no official reason has been given for Maurene Comey’s removal, speculation has intensified given the timing. Her dismissal comes just days after Trump publicly scolded his supporters on Truth Social for demanding the release of more Epstein-related documents. In a series of erratic posts, Trump blamed the controversy on files he claimed were “written” by former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and James Comey. On Tuesday, he doubled down, suggesting that he, Obama, and President Joe Biden had “made up” the Epstein files entirely—remarks that left even longtime MAGA allies confused.
Maurene Comey’s name had already surfaced earlier this year in connection with the Epstein investigation. According to The Wall Street Journal, she filed a motion in early 2024 urging a federal judge not to release certain Epstein records, citing potential interference with any retrial proceedings for Ghislaine Maxwell. In the declaration, she argued that public access to sensitive materials—including witness statements—could compromise ongoing or future litigation.
That decision drew criticism from transparency advocates and right-wing influencers who saw it as further evidence of a cover-up. And now, her termination—quiet, unexplained, and politically charged—has only added fuel to the fire.
The Justice Department has not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding her firing or the broader controversy surrounding the Epstein files.
As the backlash continues, the dismissal of a prosecutor once seen as a bulwark in high-stakes criminal cases may only deepen suspicion among those who believe that powerful names connected to Epstein are being protected from scrutiny.