Judge rules Trump administration unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, allowing her challenge to proceed

Judge finds firing unlawful

Judge Furman ruled Monday that Comey’s dismissal violated the Civil Service Reform Act, a 1978 law protecting federal workers. He wrote that the Trump administration was seeking to overturn established legal principles that let Congress regulate the removal of certain federal officers.

Comey’s lawyers called the decision a “hard-earned victory” for her and civil servants. In a statement, they said the ruling reaffirmed checks and balances and that the president is not above the law.

Comey’s work and lawsuit

She sued the Justice Department last year, alleging she was probably dismissed because President Trump dislikes her father. James Comey, a former FBI director, has been indicted twice during the second Trump administration; one case was dismissed, and he has denied wrongdoing in the other.

Government challenged court authority

The administration sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing Comey had to take her claims to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which handles federal employees’ appeals of adverse actions. Furman rejected that request, allowing the case to continue.

Court filings said Comey’s performance reviews were rated “outstanding” from 2019 through 2024. The Justice Department nevertheless argued that Congress had authorized the attorney general to fire assistant U.S. attorneys.

Administration cited Supreme Court ruling

In defending the dismissal, the Trump administration also relied partly on a Supreme Court decision from June. That ruling allowed the president to remove members of certain independent agencies without cause. The Supreme Court decision overturned a precedent more than 90 years old that had permitted Congress to limit the president’s power to remove officials at multimember agencies.