Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging she was illegally fired from the Justice Department in July because of her family name, her perceived political affiliation, and pressure from right-wing activist Laura Loomer.
The 39-page complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, describes her July 16 dismissal as abrupt and unconstitutional and says she was given no advance notice or formal cause.
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“There is no legitimate explanation,” the lawsuit claims. “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.”
Comey’s complaint names Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Office of the President, and the Office of Personnel Management as defendants. However, central to her legal argument is the influence of Loomer, a political activist close to President Donald Trump with a history of targeting federal employees she considers disloyal to the commander in chief.
According to the lawsuit, Loomer launched a social media campaign in May demanding Comey and her husband, fellow SDNY prosecutor Lucas Issacharoff, be fired after Comey’s father posted a cryptic image reading “8647.” The post was interpreted by Trump and senior law enforcement officials as a veiled threat against the president.
Loomer called Comey a “national security risk” and said her continued employment would be unacceptable.
Two months later, Comey was terminated via a single email citing “Article II of the Constitution.” Loomer then took a victory lap on social media, posting, “This comes 2 months after my pressure campaign on Pam Blondi [sic] to fire Comey’s daughter and Comey’s son-in-law from the DOJ.”
BREAKING NEWS:
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 16, 2025
Today, the DOJ FIRED Maurene Comey from the United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.
She is the daughter of former disgraced FBI Director James @Comey.
This comes 2 months after my pressure campaign on Pam Blondi to fire Comey’s… https://t.co/0wVP4eYNFh pic.twitter.com/SOyrvHaZqb
When Comey asked Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton about the basis for her firing, he said all he could say was, “It came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else,” according to the complaint. Separate from her firing, Comey’s father is under investigation for possible false statements to Congress regarding the Trump-Russia investigation during Trump’s first term.
Comey, a decadelong veteran of the Southern District of New York, helped prosecute Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Robert Hadden, and most recently, Sean “Diddy” Combs. The lawsuit notes that 14 assistant U.S. attorneys worked on the Combs case, after which Combs was acquitted of the most serious RICO and sex trafficking charges, but she was the only one fired.
Comey and her all-female team of prosecutors were widely criticized for their handling of the case. While Combs could face up to 20 years in prison for the charges he was convicted on, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said the lack of convictions on the most serious charges made it one of the “most expensive prostitution trials in American history.”
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo previously criticized the optics of the firing but suggested reassignment would have been more appropriate.
“I would just maybe reassign her to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska,” he told Fox News in July.
The executive branch has broad statutory and regulatory authority to remove assistant U.S. attorneys such as Comey. However, measures are in place to prevent firings based on discrimination, retaliation, or political affiliations. Proving a constitutional violation typically requires a higher burden of proof.
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The DOJ and White House have not commented on the pending litigation. In a July press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Comey’s dismissal was “a decision that was made by the Department of Justice.”
Comey is seeking reinstatement, back pay, and a declaration that her termination violated her civil service rights under the Civil Service Reform Act and the Constitution’s First and Fifth amendments.