Prosecutor in Diddy and Epstein cases fired by US justice department

The US Department of Justice has fired a federal prosecutor who worked on the cases against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

It is not clear why Maurene Comey was removed from her job at the Southern District of New York. But a day after she was fired, Comey told former colleagues that “fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to supress independent thought”.

She is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Donald Trump in 2017.

The justice department has been firing lawyers who worked on cases that angered the president, including a special prosecutor investigation of Trump.

Ms Comey – who had been a trial lawyer at the high-profile justice department office in Manhattan since 2015 – was given no explanation for her firing, US media report.

“If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen,” according to a copy of a message she sent to former colleagues, first reported by Politico.

“Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place,” Ms Comey added. “A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.”

Her exit comes as Trump and the justice department’s leader, Attorney General Pam Bondi, face backlash over the administration’s handling of files relating to Epstein.

Epstein, the well-connected convicted paedophile, died by suicide in a New York jail while awaiting trial in 2019.

Bondi appeared to indicate in February she would release Epstein’s client list, before saying last week there was no “incriminating list” and no further files would be disclosed.

On Wednesday, Trump fired off his strongest rebuke yet on social media at supporters who claim there has been a cover-up on Epstein, labelling them “weaklings” and saying he did not want their backing anymore.

Ms Comey’s firing comes after her prosecution team failed in their bid to convict Sean Combs on the most serious charges he faced of racketeering and sex-trafficking. The rapper was found guilty this month of lesser counts.

According to ABC News, Trump has privately expressed displeasure about having a Comey work in his administration.

Her father, James Comey, was recently interviewed by the US Secret Service after posting – then deleting – a seashell photo on Instagram that federal officials alleged was a call for violence against Trump.

Earlier this month it was reported that the justice department had launched an investigation into the former FBI director.

Prosecutors were said to be examining Comey’s statements to Congress over an inquiry into alleged Russian attempts to influence the 2016 White House election. That probe failed to find Trump had criminally conspired with the Kremlin.

The BBC has contacted the justice department for comment.

The agency has been purging officials since the Republican president returned to office in January.

Last week Bondi fired at least 20 staff who had roles in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s twin investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat and the alleged mishandling of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

A number of prosecutors who charged participants in the US Capitol riot, when Trump supporters stormed Congress, have also been sacked.