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Maurene Comey, a senior federal prosecutor who helped lead the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, was fired this week without public explanation, amid mounting pressure on the Justice Department from President Donald Trump’s base to release additional files tied to Epstein’s associates.
The move adds to growing tensions within the Department of Justice, as Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi face escalating criticism for refusing to make more Epstein-related documents public.
Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was abruptly terminated from her role as senior trial counsel at the Southern District of New York — the powerful federal prosecutor’s office that brought charges against Epstein in 2019. At the time, Epstein was facing federal sex trafficking charges when he died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was later convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year sentence. She is appealing the conviction.
MAGA Pressure and Political Overtones
Comey’s dismissal follows weeks of growing outrage from far-right influencers, including Laura Loomer, who accused her of being part of a DOJ “cover-up.” Loomer and other MAGA figures had called on Bondi to fire Comey in May, claiming she was shielding powerful elites. The rhetoric intensified after the Justice Department recently concluded there was no credible “Epstein client list,” inflaming conspiracy theories.
President Trump defended Bondi, calling her “very credible,” but disavowed the supporters pushing for the files, labeling them “weaklings” and saying they had been “duped by Democrats.”
Comey’s father, James Comey, is also reportedly under investigation by the Trump administration. Trump has long blamed the elder Comey for launching the Russia probe that dogged his presidency. Recently, a cryptic Instagram post by James Comey drew fresh ire from Trump allies who viewed it as a threat.
Fallout Inside the DOJ
According to a person familiar with the situation, Maurene Comey received no formal explanation for her dismissal. It remains unclear whether the order came from the acting U.S. attorney, Jay Clayton, or higher-ranking officials in Washington.
Comey was most recently part of the team that prosecuted music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The case ended in a partial acquittal, failing to secure a conviction on the most serious charges.
Her firing follows a wave of departures earlier this year from the same office. The acting U.S. attorney and several others resigned in protest after DOJ officials instructed them to drop a public corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
On Wednesday night, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York escorted Comey out of the office in a quiet but symbolic act of solidarity, a person familiar with the matter said.
As unrest grows within the DOJ and MAGA-aligned voices demand purges, the Trump administration appears poised to further reshape the department’s prosecutorial ranks heading into the 2024 election.
