Maurene Comey exits from federal court in New York on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Credit – Peter Foley—Getty Images
The Department of Justice has abruptly fired a prosecutor who worked on the case against the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Maurene Comey was fired Wednesday from her job in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, Politico first reported. CNN and the Associated Press also reported on Comey’s firing, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.
While the reason remains unclear, Comey’s firing comes at a time of heightened interest in the Trump Administration’s handling of the so-called Epstein files. A memo released last week by the Justice Department and FBI effectively dismissed the existence of an Epstein “client list,” and said that the agencies will disclose no further information on the case.
Some high-profile supporters of President Trump have criticized the decision. During his campaign for the presidency, Trump had promised to release the Epstein files and had fueled intrigue in his death. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 at a New York correctional center while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Trump shrugged off outrage this week over the Epstein files and rebuked his own supporters for buying into a “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”
Read More: A Timeline of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s Relationship as It Draws Renewed Attention
When asked about Comey’s firing, the White House referred TIME to the Justice Department, which has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Who is Maurene Comey?
Comey had worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) since November 2015, and has served leadership roles in its public corruption unit and violent and organized crime unit.
Comey is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who led SDNY from 2002 to 2003. Trump fired James Comey in May 2017 over his handling of the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails, but Democrats have said the move was a result of the FBI investigating alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.
James Comey, who is seen as an adversary of Trump, was recently followed by law enforcement after sharing a post on social media critical of the U.S. President. The FBI is also investigating the elder Comey for possible false statements to Congress.
A person familiar with Maurene Comey’s firing told CNN that being a Comey is impossible in this Administration as her father is “constantly going after the Administration.”
Comey is married to Lucas Issacharoff, who works at SDNY’s Civil Division as an assistant attorney.
As a federal attorney, Comey has also taken on high-profile cases. Among them are the prosecutions of Treasury Department whistleblower Natalie Edwards, and Robert Hadden, a top New York doctor who was sentenced for luring patients across state lines so he could sexually abuse them.
“She is truly a prosecutor’s prosecutor,” Kristy Greenberg, former deputy chief of the SDNY’s criminal division, told MSNBC, adding that many people look up to her and that she is “beloved” in the agency.
How is Maurene Comey involved in the Epstein case?
Comey was one of three lead prosecutors in the case against Epstein and the British socialite Maxwell, who was convicted for helping the disgraced Epstein sexually abuse young girls. She has been serving a 20-year sentence since 2022.
Last year, Comey filed a declaration in federal court seeking to bar the release of Epstein-related records in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. In the declaration, Comey said that the release of the records—which contained witness information and statements as well as business records—”could reasonably be expected to interfere” in any retrial of Maxwell, who unsuccessfully appealed her sex trafficking conviction and has petitioned the Supreme Court to vacate her conviction.
U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe upheld the FBI’s denial of access to the bulk of the Epstein records.
Influential right-wing figures have supported Comey’s firing. “+1 for Blondi today,” Laura Loomer said on X, using a moniker for Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been facing MAGA calls for her resignation over the decision to not release the Epstein files.
Read More: Trump Urges Supporters to Move On From Epstein, as MAGA Conspiracists Demand Transparency
Sen. Adam Schiff (D, Calif.) said in a video that Comey’s firing amid the reignited Epstein controversy raises questions: “Did they fire her because she’s James Comey’s daughter? That would be improper for one reason. Did they fire her because she was a prosecutor in the Epstein case? That would just feed into what the MAGA base is already suspicious of.”
Contact us at letters@time.com.
