A federal judge ruled that Maurene Comey was unlawfully fired by the Trump administration from the Justice Department in 2018, finding the termination violated federal civil service protections and lacked proper cause or due process.
Comey served as senior counsel in the Justice Department's asset forfeiture and money laundering section. The judge found the administration failed to provide adequate justification for her removal and cited multiple violations of established federal employment procedures designed to protect civil servants from arbitrary dismissal.
The court ordered Comey's immediate reinstatement to her former position, full back pay and benefits since her 2018 termination, and expungement of any negative records from her personnel file. The compensation package covers more than five years.
The Justice Department has not indicated whether it will appeal the ruling.
