July 16 (UPI) — Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who worked on the criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs, was abruptly fired Wednesday, according to reports.
The firing of Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was reported by The New York Times, Politico and NBC News, with each outlet citing numerous unnamed sources.
The reason for the abrupt firing was unclear, but it comes amid fractures erupting within President Donald Trump’s far-right, conspiracy-believing base over his administration’s reluctance to release files related to the Epstein case.
Epstein, the disgraced wealthy financier, died by suicide in 2019 in his Manhattan jail cell as he was awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges in connection with allegations of running a child sex-trafficking ring. His death, as well as his association with celebrities, including Trump, has led to rampant conspiracy theories. The files, some contend, contain evidence that some of Epstein’s high-profile associates also participated in his alleged sex crimes.
Trump, who was a friend of Epstein from the late 1980s until the early 2000s, and his administration have been battling criticism, including from his own Make America Great Again base, over not releasing the files. Early this month, the Justice Department released a memo stating there is “no incriminating ‘client list'” and that “there was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.” It also states that Epstein died by suicide, an assertion supported by video footage though three minutes were not available.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a known conspiracy theorist, reportedly feuded at the White House following the memo’s release, with Bongino stating he might resign in response.
Bongino and his boss, FBI Director Kash Patel, had been prominent voices supporting the full release of the Epstein files.
Trump on Wednesday attempted to deflect the issue as one being pushed by Democrats, stating “Their new SCAM is Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” while describing conservatives who are demanding the files be released as his “PAST supporters.”
“All these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein HOAX,” he said on his Truth Social media platform, claiming the issue was taking attention away from his “successes.”
“I don’t want their support anymore!” he said.
To reporters on Tuesday, Trump claimed the Epstein files were “made up” by James Comey, former President Barack Obama and former President Joe Biden.
Comey’s firing is the most high-profile exit from her Manhattan office since February, when several federal prosecutors resigned after the Justice Department ordered criminal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams to be dropped.
Comey, who earned her law degree from Harvard, had worked at the Southern District of New York office since 2015. Along with the Epstein case, she had worked on the federal cases against Epstein’s close associate, Maxwell, who was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years behind bars, and Combs, who was convicted on two counts of prostitution charges earlier this summer and is now awaiting sentencing.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty in state court in Palm Beach County to two felony charges: soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor for prostitution.
He was sentenced to an 18-month sentence, but served only 13 months, mainly under a work-release program.
In 2019, he was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York.
