Federal judges issued major rulings against Trump Justice Department personnel actions in late October 2026. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that prosecutor Maurene Comey was unlawfully fired in July 2025, ordering back pay and reinstatement due to constitutional and procedural violations. Concurrently, Judge Michael Seabright disqualified unconfirmed prosecutor Bill Essayli in California for serving illegally, following similar challenges across federal offices.
Judge Jesse Furman rules Maurene Comey firing unlawful
- ▪Judge Jesse Furman found that the Justice Department's firing of Maurene Comey violated the separation of powers, the Administrative Procedure Act, and Fifth Amendment due process rights.
- ▪Judge Jesse Furman wrote that accepting the government's legal rationale regarding Maurene Comey's termination would unsettle the equilibrium of the constitutional system.
- ▪Judge Jesse Furman ordered the Justice Department to retroactively reinstate Maurene Comey and provide back pay from her July 2025 firing until December 2025, when she joined a private law firm.
- ▪U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that the Justice Department unlawfully fired former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey in July 2025
Maurene Comey background and lawsuit allegations
- ▪Maurene Comey served as a federal prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office for nearly ten years, working on high-profile prosecutions against Sean Combs, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.
- ▪Judge Jesse Furman noted in his ruling that Maurene Comey's performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney was undisputed as outstanding during her nearly ten-year tenure.
- ▪Maurene Comey alleged in her lawsuit that she was terminated without explanation solely or substantially due to her father, former FBI Director James Comey, or her perceived political beliefs.
Disqualification and appointments of interim U.S. attorneys
- ▪Federal Judge Michael Seabright ruled that Bill Essayli was unlawfully serving as top federal prosecutor in southern California
- ▪Defense attorney H. Dean Steward stated that the Trump administration violated laws governing U.S. attorney appointments to install political allies as chief federal prosecutors.
- ▪Former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, Alina Habba, was disqualified in December 2025 from serving as top prosecutor in New Jersey before becoming a senior adviser at the Justice Department.
- ▪Bill Essayli became an interim U.S. attorney in April 2025 without formal presidential nomination or Senate confirmation, later receiving acting and first assistant designations from the Trump administration.
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