The lawsuit from the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey accuses the Trump administration of violating the Constitution and civil service protections.

Maurene Comey (pictured in 2019), the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, sued the Trump administration Monday over her firing as a federal prosecutor. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI UPI Maurene Comey (pictured in 2019), the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, sued the Trump administration Monday over her firing as a federal prosecutor. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI UPI Maurene Comey (pictured in NYC in 2019), the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, sued the Trump administration Monday over her firing as a federal prosecutor. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI UPI

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Maurene Comey, a prosecutor who brought cases against disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein and other prominent defendants, sued the Trump administration Monday alleging her abrupt termination was politically motivated.

Comey has served for nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor who was lauded for her handling of high-stakes criminal and public corruption cases, including the racketeering and sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs. She is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump after he was fired during his first term.

The lawsuit argues she was illegally fired in retaliation because of "her familial relation as the daughter of James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs."

"No other plausible explanation exists for her termination-and certainly none was provided," states the lawsuit that was filed in the Manhattan-based Southern District of New York.

The suit argues that her termination in July came with no explanation and with no chance to contest it, violating both the Constitution and civil service protections passed by Congress. Comey's termination, according to the suit, came in the form of an email with an attachment citing the authority of Article II of the United States' Constitution, which describes the powers of the president.

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Trump and his allies have asserted that the Constitution gives the president extensive control over the executive branch, including discretion over hiring and firing of federal employees.

"The executive branch cannot use Article II to overrule Congress and remove career civil servants for perceived disloyalty," the lawsuit argues. "Such an act violates the Constitution's fundamental Separation of Powers."

After his termination as FBI director in 2017, James Comey wrote a memoir critical of Trump. In May 2025, James Comey came under fire for a now-deleted social media post depicting seashells arranged to form the numbers "86 47," which Trump and his allies interpreted as a threat.

The lawsuit cited the dust-up as well with Laura Loomer, a right-wing social media influencer, calling for Comey's "liberal daughter" and her "Democrat husband" to be "FIRED from the DOJ immediately." Loomer, who has held sway over the Trump administration, further described Maurene Comey as a "national security threat."

The suit seeks Comey's reinstatement as a prosecutor with back pay.