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A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration violated federal civil service law when it fired Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman determined that Comey’s dismissal from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in 2025 failed to comply with federal employment protections.
Comey subsequently sued the administration, seeking reinstatement to her former position.
In his ruling, Furman acknowledged that the attorney general possesses the authority to remove federal prosecutors but emphasized that such authority remains subject to statutory restrictions.
The judge wrote that the attorney general is “limited by law, namely the [Civil Service Reform Act] CSRA, to do so only in a particular manner and only for certain reasons.”
Furman concluded that “Comey’s removal indisputably violated the CSRA.”
The ruling centers on whether the administration followed the legally required procedures for terminating Comey’s employment, rather than whether the attorney general possesses removal authority generally.
The administration is expected to appeal the decision, potentially setting up another court battle over presidential authority and federal civil service protections.
The ruling also awarded Comey retroactive reinstatement and back pay through Dec. 20, 2025, when the court determined she had accepted another job.
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