Diddy Prosecutor Maurene Comey Sues Justice Department Over Firing

Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, the daughter of ex-FBI Director James Comey, is suing the U.S. Department of Justice to get her job back.

According to the Associated Press, Comey filed the lawsuit on Monday, Sept. 15, in Manhattan. In her complaint, she claimed she was terminated because of who her father is “or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.”

Comey served for nearly a decade in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, where she was involved in several high-profile cases.

But as previously reported, back in July, just weeks after the end of the criminal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs ended, she was fired.

A jury found Combs guilty on two prostitution counts, but he was acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He will be sentenced on Oct. 3.

Comey served as lead prosecutor in that case. She is seeking reinstatement and a declaration that her firing was unlawful, arguing it violated the Constitution’s “Separation of Powers” clause.

“Defendants have not provided any explanation whatsoever for terminating Ms. Comey. In truth, there is no legitimate explanation,” the lawsuit said.

According to the filing, Comey’s dismissal came one day after her supervisors asked her to take the lead on a major public corruption case, and three months after she received another “Outstanding” review.

She said no reason was given for her termination following nearly 10 years of positive performance evaluations and promotions.

Comey argued that her dismissal violated protections under the Civil Service Reform Act, which governs how and why federal employees can be fired. The law prohibits terminations based on discriminatory factors such as political affiliation.

“Her termination violated every one of those protections,” the lawsuit stated.

Comey worked on the prosecution of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Her firing also came amid ongoing tension between the Justice Department and the Trump administration over the Epstein case. Questions about whether an Epstein “client list” exists, and if it should be made public, have fueled political debate.

The AP previously reported that sources at the time of the firing said DOJ lawyers who’ve handled politically sensitive cases have faced added scrutiny and that Maurene Comey has long been seen as a possible target due to her father’s rocky relationship with Trump.

James Comey was appointed FBI director by President Barack Obama in 2013. He was later fired by Trump in 2017 during the early stages of the investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election.