Bondi Struggling to Find Lawyers to Deal With Lawsuit From Comey’s Fired Daughter

A lawsuit against the Department of Justice, filed by the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, is being delayed because no federal attorneys are willing to take it on, according to a report.

Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York who played a key role in the criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was abruptly fired by the Department of Justice in July with no explanation.

In September, Comey sued the DOJ, President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and others, alleging that she was fired without probable cause and solely because her father is a longtime nemesis of the president. James Comey was indicted on charges of lying to Congress in September in what was widely seen as part of a political retribution campaign carried out by Trump against his adversaries.

Two months later, the DoJ has not responded to the lawsuit, in part because the department is struggling to assign an office or attorneys to handle the case, sources told The New York Times.

Maurene Comey, who was fired by the Justice Department on Thursday, wrote an email warning about the chilling effect of fear in the department. — Maurene Comey also worked on the Sean “Diddy” Combs case before she was fired. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, where Comey was previously employed, has declined to work on the case due to her close ties to the office. The Brooklyn prosecutor’s office also wants to maintain its distance because it is closely linked to the Manhattan branch due to personal ties among its lawyers and investigations often overlapping.

The Federal Programs Branch of the DOJ’s Civil Division, which typically handles high-profile lawsuits, is also not taking it on, though it remains unclear why. Comey is not seeking financial compensation beyond back pay, legal fees, and reinstatement to her former position.

The delay prompted U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who is presiding over the case, to postpone a hearing scheduled for November 3 and give the DOJ a new deadline to respond, reported The Times.

The department, along with the named defendants—including Bondi—now has until November 21 to file an official response.

James Comey speaks onstage during Former FBI Director James Comey In Conversation With MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace at 92NY on May 30, 2023 in New York City. — James Comey, who Trump fired from the FBI in 2017, has denied all the charges against him. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Elsewhere, a legal watchdog group on Tuesday demanded that the president’s hand-picked prosecutor who brought the charges against James Comey and fellow Trump nemisis New York Attorney General Letitia James be investigated.

The Campaign for Accountability (CfA) has asked the Florida Bar and the Virginia State Bar to probe Lindsey Halligan, a 36-year-old former Miss Colorado beauty pageant contestant, over claims she filed charges on Trump’s behalf despite a “dearth of evidence” that either Comey or James committed a crime.

The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.

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