Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired

Maurene Comey, a Manhattan federal prosecutor who worked on the criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was fired Wednesday, according to four people with knowledge of the matter.

The reason for Comey’s firing was not initially clear. Her dismissal immediately raised questions, given her involvement in cases that have roiled the White House in recent days, as well as the fact that her father is the former FBI director, James Comey, who was fired by President Donald Trump during his first term.

A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. The White House press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, including about whether it had asked the Justice Department to fire Maurene Comey.

Trump has in recent days claimed without evidence that files related to Epstein’s crimes were concocted by James Comey, as well as by former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Maurene Comey was given a letter informing her of the termination, three of the people with knowledge of the matter said. Two said the letter stated that Comey was being fired under Article II of the Constitution, which describes the powers granted to the president.

Comey was a prosecutor in the criminal case against Epstein, the disgraced financier who hanged himself in 2019 before he could go to trial. And she was on the team that prosecuted Maxwell, Epstein’s onetime girlfriend, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.

Comey was also a prosecutor on the trial of Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul known as Diddy, who was acquitted of the most serious charges against him earlier this month.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.