Topline
Former Justice Department prosecutor Maurene Comey urged her colleagues against capitulating to the Trump administration’s demands in a letter Thursday, multiple outlets report, likening the agency’s leadership to “tyrants” after Comey—who prosecuted cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell—was abruptly fired Wednesday amid a broader firestorm over the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein probe.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey arrives at federal court in New York City for the Sean “Diddy” … More
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Key Facts
Comey sent a letter to colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, Politico first reported, in which she confirmed she was “summarily fired” from the Justice Department on Wednesday and was not given a reason for her termination.
She prosecuted cases against Epstein and Maxwell, as well as Sean “Diddy” Combs, and is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump.
The ex-prosecutor warned colleagues in the letter that their practice of doing their work “without fear” is now under threat, writing, “If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain” and urging colleagues, “Do not let that happen.”
Comey appeared to take aim at the Trump administration, writing, “Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.”
Comey’s departure comes as the Justice Department more broadly faces a barrage of criticism from both sides of the aisle for its memo declaring the agency will not release any further files on its investigation into Epstein, which also shot down conspiracy theories regarding the nature of Epstein’s 2019 death in prison and the existence of a “client list” detailing people who took part in his alleged sex trafficking operation.
It’s unclear if Comey’s firing is at all tied to the ongoing controversy over the Epstein files, and it comes as numerous DOJ staff have separately been fired or left the agency voluntarily, with Reuters reporting two-thirds of the staff tasked with defending the administration’s policies have quit.
Surprising Fact
The New York Times reports Comey’s firing may have come from Trump directly. The memo informing her of her termination reportedly cited Article II of the Constitution, which details the president’s powers.
What Did Maurene Comey’s Full Letter Say?
Comey’s full letter, as quoted by Politico, reads:
“Yesterday was unexpectedly my last day in the Office. I was summarily fired via memo from Main Justice that did not give a reason for my termination.
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 fear to the powerful.
For the majority of my nearly ten years in SDNY, the hard part seemed to be 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. Fear was never really conceivable. We don’t fear bad press; we have the luxury of exceptional security keeping us physically safe; and, so long as we did our work with integrity, we would get to keep serving the public in this office.
But we have entered a new phase where ‘without fear’ may be the challenge. If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. 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.
It has been an honor to fight for those principles by your side.
Maurene”
What To Watch For
The drama over the Epstein files is still unfolding at the Justice Department, and it remains to be seen if the agency will capitulate to Republicans who continue to urge for more documents to be released. (Trump, for his part, has railed against the continued interest in the Epstein files, but has said the DOJ should release any “credible” information.) Comey may also not be the only high-level departure from the agency amid the controversy: many right-wing figures including activist Laura Loomer and commentator Megyn Kelly have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign, though Bondi has so far shown no willingness to do so, and Trump has not expressed displeasure with the attorney general.
Tangent
Comey’s departure also comes amid reports that the FBI has launched an investigation into her father, though it’s unclear what prompted it. James Comey has long been criticized by Trump over his handling of investigations into the 2016 election, and was fired by the president during his first term. Any conduct from Trump’s first term would now be outside a five-year statute of limitations, NBC News notes, however, though James Comey has more recently drawn controversy and outrage from the right for a social media post that said “86 47,” which has been interpreted as a message to “eject” or “remove” Trump. The former FBI director later deleted the image, saying he “posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Key Background
Epstein allegedly abused more than 100 women between 2002 and 2018, assembling an alleged network of underage women who were allegedly abused by him and associates. He was indicted in federal court in 2019 for sex trafficking and died in prison later that year, but the financier’s crimes have continued to garner widespread attention. The latest controversy over the Epstein investigation comes after top Trump officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy Dan Bongino, have long pushed conspiracy theories about a government “cover-up” of files concerning the Epstein investigation, which stoked widespread interest among Trump’s base in those files being released. Bondi and Patel have repeatedly suggested in recent months they would release the government’s files on the investigation, but as of July, there had only been one limited release of documents—which were already largely publicly available. While officials maintained they were prioritizing making the files public, that abruptly came to an end with the memo announcing no further documents would be released. The memo has unleashed a wave of criticism from the right, with numerous Republicans calling for the files to be released and attacking the Trump administration for continuing to withhold them. Trump has decried his supporters for their continued interest in the story, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday that the Epstein story is a “hoax” and saying of supporters who push the issue, “I don’t want their support anymore!”