Judge Rules Trump Administration Unlawfully Fired Maurene Comey, Awards Back Pay Through 2025
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 26
Judge Rules Trump Administration Unlawfully Fired Maurene Comey, Awards Back Pay Through 2025
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 26
Summary
55 pages from Judge Jesse Furman found the Justice Department unlawfully fired former Manhattan prosecutor Maurene Comey in July 2025 and entitled her to back pay through December 2025.
Furman said the firing violated separation of powers, federal administrative law and Comey’s due-process rights, rejecting the idea that rank-and-file prosecutors can be removed at will.
Comey had handled the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean Combs prosecutions and argued there was no reason for her dismissal other than her father James Comey or her perceived political beliefs.
The ruling could bolster appeals by other federal workers fired by the Trump administration, testing the limits of presidential and attorney-general authority over civil-service employees.