U.S. Attorney’s Office Assumes Defense in Comey Lawsuit
The U.S. attorney’s office in Albany will represent the Trump administration in a lawsuit filed by Maurene Comey, who was terminated from her position as a prosecutor. This follows the recusal of her former office in Manhattan from the case.
Details of the Lawsuit
Maurene Comey is suing the Justice Department, claiming her July dismissal was illegal and politically motivated due to her father, James Comey’s, public criticisms of President Trump. James Comey was removed as FBI director in 2017.
On Thursday, an attorney from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of New York notified a federal judge of the office’s involvement in the lawsuit, marking the first response from the government since the case was filed in September.
Lawyer Karen Folster Lesperance stated in a letter that the Northern District agreed to take on the case due to the recusal of the Southern District of New York. She requested an extension of the deadline to respond, citing the need for more time to prepare a motion to dismiss and consult with Department officials.
Lesperance also noted that many members of her office’s civil division were furloughed due to the government shutdown and had just returned to work.
Background on the Case
The recusal of the Southern District of New York was not detailed in the documents, but Maurene Comey has previously worked on high-profile cases in that office, including prosecutions related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her father led the Southern District in the early 2000s.
Maurene Comey reported being “summarily fired via memo” without a stated reason. She has sought a federal court ruling declaring her termination unlawful and has asked to be reinstated with back pay.
Separately, James Comey is facing criminal charges for allegedly lying to Congress, which his attorneys have described as vindictive and driven by personal animus from President Trump.
Maurene Comey’s legal representatives will confront civil attorneys from the Northern District of New York, which is currently led by acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone, who was appointed by Trump and previously served as interim U.S. attorney.
The Justice Department and other parties involved have been contacted for comments, and a spokesperson for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
