Judge Furman Rules DOJ Illegally Fired Prosecutor Maurene Comey, Orders Reinstatement and Back Pay

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled on Oct. 26, 2026 that the Trump Justice Department illegally fired Maurene Comey, a Manhattan federal prosecutor, in July 2025. She had been an assistant U.S. attorney for a decade. Furman rejected the government’s argument that the removal fell within the president’s “conclusive and preclusive” constitutional power, and ruled that the firing violated the separation of powers, the Administrative Procedure Act and her Fifth Amendment due process and statutory rights. He ordered reinstatement and back pay through Dec. 20.

The AP reports the department has fired scores of career employees, including prosecutors and FBI agents, who participated in investigations of President Donald Trump or were perceived as opposed to the administration’s agenda. Comey is the daughter of James Comey, whom President Donald Trump has long viewed as an enemy.