Maurene Comey, federal prosecutor on Epstein and ‘Diddy’ cases, fired

Prosecutor Maurene Comey fired by Justice Department

Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a seasoned federal prosecutor, has been fired by the Justice Department. She had been involved in high-profile cases, including those against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft is getting the latest updates on this breaking story.

NEW YORK - The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, according to multiple reports.

There was no specific reason given for her firing, according to a New York Times report.

The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of an investigation into James Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear. He was abruptly fired by Trump during his first administration in 2017.

FILE - Maurene Comey, assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and daughter of former FBI director James Comey, exits from federal court in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. (Peter Foley/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Who is Maurene Comey?

The backstory:

Maurene Comey was a veteran lawyer in the Southern District of New York, long considered the most elite of the Justice Department's prosecution offices. 

Her cases included the sex trafficking prosecution of Epstein, who killed himself behind bars in 2019, and the recent case against Combs.

Her father, James Comey, was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by then-President Barack Obama. 

But his relationship with Trump was strained from the start, and the FBI director resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge personal loyalty to the president.

Trump fired James Comey in May 2017 amid an investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign.