AI Image
Maurene Comey was unlawfully fired by DOJ, judge rules
CNBC • • general
Key Points:
- A federal judge ruled that the Department of Justice's firing of Maurene Comey, a New York federal prosecutor, was unlawful and ordered her reinstatement with back pay.
- Judge Jesse Furman rejected DOJ's claims that the Attorney General could remove a federal prosecutor "at will" without cause, emphasizing adherence to nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent.
- Maurene Comey, involved in high-profile cases including those of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, sued the DOJ after her July 2025 firing, challenging the legality of her termination.
- The DOJ stated it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal, while Comey's lawyers hailed the decision as a victory for civil servants and the rule of law.
- The judge did not rule on Comey's First Amendment claim related to her firing and allowed her until November 9 to submit further arguments on that issue.
