CNBC reported Monday that a federal judge found the Justice Department’s 2025 firing of Maurene Comey unlawful and ordered retroactive reinstatement and back pay.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman rejected the Department of Justice's arguments that then-Attorney General Pam Bondi could remove Comey without cause and Attorney General Todd Blanche could later ratify that action. The department also argued that Bondi's decision implicitly met the Civil Service Reform Act's cause requirement. Furman rejected that position, CNBC reported.
On the department's Article II argument, Furman said his court could not adopt the DOJ's reading of executive power while existing Supreme Court decisions remained in force, according to CNBC.
Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, had worked on prosecutions involving Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs. She was fired in July 2025 and later sued the department.
Her attorneys described the ruling as a victory for civil servants and people defending the rule of law, CNBC reported. The Justice Department said it disagreed and would appeal “in due course,” the outlet reported. CNBC said an appeal would come after Furman issues a final judgment.
Furman did not resolve Comey's claim that her firing violated her First Amendment rights. He gave her until Nov. 9 to argue why the claim should not be dismissed.
