‘Software of a tyrant’: Former FBI head James Comey’s daughter fired by Trump

Following her termination as a federal prosecutor, Maurene Comey referred to as on her colleagues to sentence ‘abuses of energy’.

Maurene Comey — the daughter of James Comey, the previous director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — has condemned President Donald Trump shortly after being fired from her function as a federal prosecutor in america.

In a memo to colleagues obtained by The Related Press on Thursday, Comey wrote that, if a “profession prosecutor might be fired with out motive, worry might seep into the selections of those that stay”.

“Don’t let that occur,” she stated. “Concern is the software of a tyrant, wielded to suppress impartial thought.”

The memo got here in the future after Comey was let go from her function as an assistant US legal professional in New York for the Division of Justice.

The Trump administration has not but supplied a motive for Comey’s firing. However her place had lengthy been seen as susceptible as a consequence of her affiliation together with her father, who oversaw an investigation into alleged collusion between Trump’s marketing campaign and Russia throughout the 2016 presidential race.

The elder Comey was fired by Trump early in his first time period, however the former FBI director has remained the topic of the president’s ire.

In congressional testimonies in addition to a 2018 e-book, James Comey has decried Trump’s “unethical” and mafia-like method to management. He has additionally argued that Trump’s determination to fireside him was an effort to undermine the Russia investigation.

Since taking workplace for his second time period, Trump and his allies have sought to purge Division of Justice staff concerned in instances he disagreed with.

They embrace prosecutors who labored on particular counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions, as he pursued two federal felony indictments towards Trump: one for withholding labeled paperwork whereas out of workplace and the opposite for making an attempt to subvert the 2020 election.

Each instances have been dropped when Trump was re-elected in November 2024. It’s towards the Justice Division’s insurance policies to prosecute a sitting president.

The Related Press reported earlier this month that extra profession prosecutors, in addition to help employees, concerned in Smith’s indictment had their jobs terminated.

Critics argue that the Trump administration’s determination to fireside such staff has eroded the Justice Division’s independence. Many additionally level out that profession civil servants don’t select their instances and as an alternative serve below whichever presidential administration is in workplace, no matter politics.

In her message to colleagues, Maurene Comey urged her fellow prosecutors to make use of their present predicament to struggle much more zealously for the truthful and neutral rule of legislation.

“As a substitute of worry,” she wrote, “let this second gas the fireplace that already burns on the coronary heart of this place.”

“A hearth of righteous indignation at abuses of energy. Of dedication to hunt justice for victims. Of dedication to reality above all else.”

Veteran lawyer

Previous to her firing, Maurene Comey had been a veteran lawyer for the Southern District of New York, typically thought of one of many high prosecution workplaces within the nation.

She had most just lately prosecuted Sean “Diddy” Combs, in a case that noticed the music producer discovered responsible on prices of transportation for the needs of prostitution, however acquitted on prices of racketeering conspiracy and intercourse trafficking.

She had beforehand labored on the profitable prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell on sex-trafficking prices related to financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage women.

The firing comes as Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi faces criticism from segments of Trump’s Make America Nice Once more (MAGA) base for not releasing extra proof associated to Epstein, together with a full accounting of his alleged “shopper checklist”.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan detention centre in 2019.

Some influential right-wing web personalities, together with Laura Loomer, have attacked Bondi and in addition referred to as for Comey’s firing.

As well as, US media shops have reported that the Trump administration is at the moment investigating James Comey and former director of the Central Intelligence Company (CIA) John Brennan for his or her probe into Russian interference within the 2016 election.

On the time, the US intelligence neighborhood concluded that Russia did search to meddle within the election, however that there was not sufficient proof to help the declare that the Trump marketing campaign sought to collude with Russian brokers.

Additional particulars of the reported probe into Comey and Brennan haven’t emerged.