Maurene Comey Wins Reinstatement After Trump Firing, Obama Judge Rules
A federal judge has ordered Maurene Comey reinstated after President Trump fired her as a New York federal prosecutor in July 2025. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Trump administration broke the law when it removed her.
The ruling focuses on the Civil Service Reform Act, or CSRA. Judge Furman said the administration did not follow the legal protections governing Comey’s removal.
“First, Comey’s removal was not authorized by any statute; to the contrary, it violated the CSRA [Civil Service Reform Act],” Judge Furman wrote in an order reviewed by The Gateway Pundit.
The judge acknowledged that the Attorney General has authority to remove an assistant U.S. attorney. But he also said that authority is limited by federal law.
“Yes, the Attorney General is authorized by law to remove an AUSA. But the Attorney General (and anyone to whom the Attorney General delegates that authority) is also limited by law, namely the CSRA, to do so only in a particular manner and only for certain reasons,” Judge Furman wrote.
He then delivered the central finding of the order: “And Comey’s removal indisputably violated the CSRA,” the judge said.
Comey filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last September and demanded that she be returned to her position. She is the daughter of former FBI Director James B. Comey and had worked as a federal prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Her lawyers argued that the firing was politically motivated because of her family connection and her perceived political views.
“Defendants fired Ms. Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both,” her lawyers wrote.
The Gateway Pundit also cited an Associated Press report stating: “There was no specific reason given for her firing from the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters,” the AP reported.
The timing of the termination became an important part of Comey’s legal case. Her lawyers said she was dismissed on July 16, 2025, one day after the U.S. Attorney’s Office asked her to lead a major public corruption case. They also pointed to her recent performance review.
“Despite her exemplary performance, Ms. Comey was abruptly fired on July 16, 2025, the day after the U.S. Attorney’s Office had asked her to take the lead on a major public corruption case and just three months after her latest receipt of an “Outstanding” review. Defendants did not identify any cause or provide Ms. Comey any due process for her removal,” Comey’s lawyers wrote.
After her firing, Comey sent a message to colleagues criticizing the president and his administration without naming Trump directly.
“Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought,” Maurene Comey wrote.
Her lawyers argued that the termination violated both constitutional rights and statutory protections. They said Comey was removed without cause, advance notice, or an opportunity to challenge the decision.
“Ms. Comey’s termination—without cause, without advance notice, and without any opportunity to contest it—was unlawful and unconstitutional. In addition to her fundamental constitutional rights, Ms. Comey had statutory protections under the Civil Service Reform Act (“CSRA”) that governed how and why she could be terminated, including specific prohibitions against termination for discriminatory reasons such as political affiliation. Her termination violated every one of those protections,” the lawyers wrote.
Judge Furman’s decision makes clear that the dispute was not simply about whether the Attorney General could remove a prosecutor. The key issue was whether that power was used in a way that complied with the Civil Service Reform Act. His order says it was not.
The ruling now requires Comey’s reinstatement and represents a serious legal setback for the administration’s handling of her firing. The case centers on due process, statutory protections, and the limits placed on federal personnel decisions.
Source: The Gateway Pundit