Maurene Comey
Maurene Comey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maurene Ryan Comey August 1988 (age 36) |
| Education | |
| Spouse | Lucas Issacharoff[1] |
| Father | James Comey |
Maurene Ryan Comey (born August 1988) is an American attorney who served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) from 2016 to 2025.
Early life and education (1988–2013)
[edit]Maurene Ryan Comey[2] was born in August 1988.[3] Comey is the first daughter of James Comey and Patrice Failor.[4][a] James is a former prosecutor who served as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2013 until his dismissal in 2017.[4] She graduated from the College of William & Mary, where she performed in the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company,[5] in 2010 and from Harvard Law School in 2013.[6]
Career
[edit]Law clerk and legal associate (2013–2014)
[edit]After graduating from Harvard Law School, Comey worked as an associate for Debevoise & Plimpton. She was a law clerk to judge Loretta Preska.[6]
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (2014–2025)
[edit]Comey began working for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in 2014,[7] began serving as a prosecutor the following year,[8] and became an assistant United States attorney by May 2016.[9] In July 2019, she began handling the criminal case filed against the financier Jeffrey Epstein.[10] By December 2021, Comey had become a chief of Violent and Organized Crime Unit.[7] She was later involved in the prosecution of the gynecologist Robert Hadden,[11] of Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell,[12] and of Sean Combs, leading the latter.[13]
In May 2025, far-right activist Laura Loomer publicly called for the dismissal of Comey and her husband Lucas Issacharoff, citing their proximity to James Comey.[14]
On July 16, 2025, the United States Department of Justice dismissed Comey[15] as a senior trial counsel.[16] According to The New York Times, a letter informing her of her termination and signed by Francey Hakes, the director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys,[17] cited Article Two of the United States Constitution.[18] CNN later reported that an official described her connection to her father, James Comey, as untenable;[19] according to ABC News, president Donald Trump was reportedly furious that a relative of the elder Comey worked in his administration.[15]
Personal life
[edit]She is married to Lucas Issacharoff, who has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York since September 2019.[1] Lucas is son of Samuel Issacharoff and Cynthia Estlund.[20][21]
In popular culture
[edit]The protagonist in James Comey's Central Park West (2023), Nora Carleton, includes aspects of Maurene Comey, including her profession, her height, and her approximate age.[22]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b van Brugen, Isabel (November 29, 2021). "Who Is Maurene Comey? James Comey's Daughter Is Lead Prosecutor in Ghislaine Maxwell Trial". Newsweek. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Arkin, Daniel (April 26, 2025). "Meet the judge and the lawyers at the center of Diddy's case". NBC News. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Maurene R Comey in the U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019" (Document). Index to Public Records.
- ^ a b c Whitworth, Damian (May 21, 2025). "James Comey on Trump: 'He's the monster in a horror sequel'". The Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Efimetz, Ann (January 27, 2010). "'Gondoliers' was a winner". The Virginia Gazette. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Kaufman, Katrina; Milton, Pat; Klaidman, Daniel (July 16, 2025). "Justice Department fires Maurene Comey, who helped prosecute Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein". CBS News. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Brown, Julie; Wieder, Ben (November 30, 2021). "The judge, the lawyers and Ghislaine Maxwell: a scorecard for watching the trial in New York". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Ramey, Corinne; Gurman, Sadie (July 16, 2025). "Justice Department Fires Ghislaine Maxwell Prosecutor Maurene Comey". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "21 arrested in Sullivan drug sweep". Times Herald-Record. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Zapotosky, Matt; Merle, Renae; Barrett, Devlin (July 8, 2019). "Jeffrey Epstein charged with federal sex trafficking crimes involving young girls". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Kornfield, Meryl (September 9, 2020). "New York gynecologist indicted on federal charges of sexually assaulting patients". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Jacobs, Shayna (December 20, 2021). "Jury begins deliberating in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-trafficking case". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Bensimon, Olivia (June 26, 2025). "Six prosecutors presented the case against Sean Combs". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Rissman, Kelly (July 16, 2025). "Laura Loomer takes victory lap over firing of ex-FBI chief Comey's daughter after pressing 'Pam Blondi'". The Independent. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Faulders, Katherine; Levine, Mike; Katersky, Aaron (July 16, 2025). "Maurene Comey, federal prosecutor in Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Ghislaine Maxwell cases, fired: Sources". ABC News. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Orden, Eric (July 16, 2025). "Maurene Comey, daughter of James Comey and prosecutor of Jeffrey Epstein, is fired". Politico. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Stein, Perry; Jacobs, Shayna; Roebuck, Jeremy (July 16, 2025). "DOJ fires Maurene Comey, prosecutor involved in Epstein, Diddy cases". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Bromwich, Jonah; Rashbaum, William; Schmidt, Michael; Nerkar, Santul; Haberman, Maggie (July 16, 2025). "Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Scannell, Kara; Blackburn, Piper (July 16, 2025). "Maurene Comey, federal prosecutor in Epstein case, fired from US attorney's office". CNN. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Frey, Jennifer (2005). "Introducing Samuel Issacharoff". NYU Law Magazine.
- ^ Estlund, Cynthia (July 2021). "Preface". Automation Anxiety: Why and How to Save Work (PDF). p. xiii. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Nguyen, Sophia (May 20, 2023). "James Comey is trying to master the twist ending. This time, on purpose". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
External links
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