James Comey's daughter who worked on Epstein case fired as federal prosecutor: Reports
Maurene Comey worked on the criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell that have troubled the Trump administration in recent weeks amid pressure to release further information about the financier's dealings.
Comey was on the team that brought sex trafficking charges against Epstein, and he later killed himself in jail while awaiting trial.
Comey has also handled other high-profile cases, including the prosecution of Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
There was no specific reason given for her firing, according to The Associated Press, which cited a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Politico was the first to report on the firing.
The Department of Justice declined to comment, and the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Politico first reported the development.
Comey's firing comes after several recent dismissals of other career Justice Department officials.
Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi fired several prosecutors who had worked on Jan. 6 cases, including former special counsel Jack Smith's team. Bondi on Friday also fired the top career ethics official at the Justice Department. And Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, disclosed Tuesday that a Chicago-based immigration court judge was fired shortly after meeting with him and giving him a tour.
In dismissal letters, Bondi has routinely cited the second article of the Constitution, which establishes the presidency, as the authority for the removal.
Comey's father has also had run-ins with the Trump administration.
James Comey was fired as FBI director under the first Trump administration and has since been a vocal critic of the president.
He recently came under scrutiny after sharing a photo of seashells arranged to read 86-47. While the White House claimed the message could be viewed as a threat on Trump's life, others noted the term originated in the hospitality industry, where it can refer to booting a customer or running out of a particular item.
James Comey said he was unaware the term had any violent connotation.
The New York Times reported that the Secret Service followed the former FBI director and tracked the location of his cellphone in the days after his post.
Updated on July 17 at 7:41 a.m. EDT.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
30 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Blackstone says real estate executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed in NYC shooting
The Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed on Monday by a gunman who entered the company's Park Avenue offices, the private equity giant said in a statement Tuesday morning. LePatner, a mother and wife, was the $1.2 trillion firm's global head of core+ real estate and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, an evergreen real estate fund. Her death has left staff at the New York-based asset manager "heartbroken," the statement said. "Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone," the statement continued. LePatner, a Yale graduate and trustee of New York's Met Museum, was an executive at Goldman Sachs before joining Blackstone in 2014. She told Business Insider in 2022 that her unit was, "for all intents and purposes, a startup." "I faced all the challenges one could imagine when building a multibillion-dollar business — from hiring to ensuring standards remain high, moving quickly to keep up with growth, and staying ahead of market swings and growing pains," she said. She also served on the board for the UJA-Federation of New York, which honored her at its Wall Street dinner in 2023. Blackstone's President Jon Gray presented her with a leadership award and lauded her ascent in finance and her support of women on Wall Street, according to a press release. LePatner is one of four victims who lost their lives to the gunman, who has been identified by the police as Shane Tamura. The gunman died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the building.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Justice Dept. Seeks Censure of Judge, Widening Fight With Judiciary
The Justice Department has filed a misconduct complaint against a federal judge who has ruled against President Trump's deportation plans, the latest move in the administration's broad pressure campaign on judges it believes are blocking the president's priorities. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media on Monday that the department had filed the complaint against Judge James E. Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, 'for making improper public comments' about the president and his administration. The complaint, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, cited comments it said Judge Boasberg made in March before Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and other judges at the Judicial Conference of the United States, which oversees the administration of the federal courts. The complaint said that Judge Boasberg had told the gathering that he believed the Trump administration would 'disregard rulings of federal courts' and trigger 'a constitutional crisis.' His remarks, the complaint said, amounted to an attempt to 'improperly influence Chief Justice Roberts' and have 'undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' The Times could not independently verify the comments cited in the complaint. They were reported by The Federalist, a conservative website, which said it had obtained notes summarizing the closed-door meeting. Judge Boasberg's office did not immediately return a request for comment. He has been at the center of the administration's attacks on the judiciary since ruling in March that it could not deport Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th-century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act. That ruling came days after the Judicial Conference meeting. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Most Americans Think Epstein Files Contain 'Embarrassing' Info About Trump
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Most Americans think that files about Jeffrey Epstein contain "embarrassing" information about President Donald Trump. According to a poll by the Washington Post, 61 percent of people think that documents about the convicted sex offender, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges, will reveal "embarrassing information" about Trump. Why It Matters Trump has been embroiled in ongoing controversy over his handling of files related to Epstein. Initially, the White House ordered a review of the case and said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein's associates. However, a July memo by the FBI and Justice Department said there was no Epstein "client list" and that no further charges would be brought. The announcement triggered a backlash among those who called for more transparency about the case. Amid this backlash, Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release "whatever she thinks is credible" regarding Epstein and asked the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony about Epstein. But speculation increased last week when The Wall Street Journal reported Trump had been told by Bondi in May that his name appeared "multiple times" in the so-called Epstein files. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the allegation as "another fake news story." President Donald Trump gestures as he starts playing golf after the opening ceremony for Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen, Scotland, on July 29, 2025. President Donald Trump gestures as he starts playing golf after the opening ceremony for Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen, Scotland, on July 29, 2025. AP Photo/Alastair Grant What To Know The Washington Post polled 1,089 people on Monday, with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points. While 61 percent said they believed the files contained awkward information about Trump, more—66 percent—said they thought they would contain embarrassing information about Democrats, and a further 84 percent said they suspected they contained embarrassing information about billionaires. Meanwhile, the poll found that 58 percent of people disapprove of the way Trump is handing issues related to the files while only 16 percent approve. Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults are paying attention to news about the case and 86 percent said they support releasing all the files from the case. The poll also found that people are questioning Epstein's cause of death. While 15 percent believe the medical examiner's ruling that Epstein died by suicide, 42 percent are unsure and 44 percent think he was killed. It comes amid a series of other polls that have been similarly problematic for the president. According to a July The Economist/YouGov poll of 1,680 adults, 79 percent of Americans want all documents pertaining to Epstein to be released. Meanwhile, 67 percent believe the government is covering up evidence related to Epstein, including 59 percent of Trump voters. A July Quinnipiac University poll found that a majority of U.S. voters disapprove of Trump's handling of files related to Epstein. What People Are Saying Scott Lucas, who teaches international politics at University College Dublin, told Newsweek: "The significant number of Americans who want the release of Epstein's files is having a political impact. "In contrast to previous political cases involving Trump this isn't the Democrats who are leading that call for the release of the files, it's not his supposed political enemies it's his supporters so this pressure will continue and be sustained." He added that "Trump is playing for time" and trying to "divert attention elsewhere" with other policies and attempts to change political discourse but the Epstein case is "a lasting affair" that will continue until Trump releases the files or he breaks with his supporters. Asked at a news conference whether he announced a trade framework between the U.S. and the E.U. to stop Epstein headlines, Trump said: "Oh, you gotta be kidding with that. No, had nothing to do with it. Only you would think that. That had nothing to do with it." The Democrats' X account wrote on Saturday, alongside a video detailing Trump's relationship with Epstein: "No matter how much he tries to distract from it, Trump's connection to Jeffrey Epstein spans decades."
