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Maurene Comey, who prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs, said she wasn’t given a reason for her firing and urged her Justice Department colleagues to stand up to “abuses of power,” according to a report.
Comey, a prosecutor for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was terminated Wednesday amid an uproar surrounding the Epstein case.
President Donald Trump this week labeled the matter a “hoax” cooked up by the elder Comey, as well as former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Her termination also comes months after far-right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer called on the Justice Department to fire the federal prosecutor.
In a memo Thursday, Comey told her colleagues that she was not given a reason for her termination, NBC News reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, a source told the outlet, cited Article II of the Constitution, which lays out the power of the president. A spokesperson from SDNY declined to comment.
"Every person lucky enough to work in this office constantly hears four words to describe our ethos: Without Fear or Favor. Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons without fear of retribution and without favor to the powerful,” wrote Comey.
Throughout her 10 years working at the district, “fear was never really conceivable,” but her “focus was really on acting 'without favor.' That is, making sure people with access, money, and power were not treated differently than anyone else; and making sure this office remained separate from politics and focused only on the facts and the law,” Comey wrote.
“But we have entered a new phase where ‘without fear’ may be the challenge,” she warned. If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen," she continued.
"Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else,” the memo read.
Comey said Wednesday was “unexpectedly” her last day at the Southern District. Asked Thursday whether Trump signed off on her firing or whether the White House had any knowledge of it, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected: “This was a decision that was made by the Department of Justice.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in 2021 after being convicted on charges linked to her role in a scheme to abuse minor girls with Epstein. The disgraced financier died by suicide behind bars in 2019 while awaiting his trial.
Comey’s firing comes as Trump and his administration grapple with the negative response to the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case. The president’s MAGA supporters erupted after the department said there was no evidence to support the existence of a “client list” of associates whom some claim Epstein blackmailed over their alleged involvement in his trafficking scheme.
Prominent members of Trump’s own party — including his former Vice President Mike Pence — have also demanded increased transparency around the case.
"I think the time has come for the administration to release all of the files regarding Jeffrey Epstein's investigation and prosecution," Pence told CBS News on Wednesday. "It's important that we protect the names of the victims. They should be excluded from any disclosure."
