A federal judge stated on Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice's dismissal of Federal Prosecutor Melinda Comey ( Maurene Comey ) was illegal.

The judge ordered the retroactive reinstatement of Comey's position. She is the daughter of former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey ( James Comey ) and previously served as an assistant federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Melanie Comi was involved in the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein ( Jeffrey Epstein ) and his accomplice Ghislain Maxwell ( Ghislaine Maxwell ). She was fired in July 2025.

Judge Jesse Furman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Manhattan ( Jesse Furman ) wrote in her ruling: 'Firstly, the dismissal of Comey was not authorized by any law; on the contrary, it violated the Civil Service Reform Act ( CSRA ).'

Ferman wrote, "Yes, the Attorney General has the legal authority to dismiss assistant federal prosecutors. However, both the Attorney General (and anyone to whom the Attorney General grants this authority) are subject to legal restrictions when exercising that power, namely the restrictions of the Civil Service Reform Act, and must do so in a specific manner and for specific reasons." He also wrote, "The dismissal of Comey unequivocally violated the Civil Service Reform Act."

This is breaking news, and there may be updates later.