New York — Judge Reinstates Maurene Comey, Calls Firing Unlawful

A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration unlawfully fired Maurene Comey from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and ordered her reinstated, according to ABC News.

What exactly did the judge rule?

Judge Jesse Furman found that Comey's termination violated civil service rules, ABC News reported on Oct. 26, 2026. The ruling came against both President Donald Trump and the Justice Department, which had carried out the dismissal. ABC News did not publish the text of the opinion or the docket number as of the report's filing, and described the matter as a developing story that it would update.

Who is Maurene Comey and what was her job?

Comey worked as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, one of the most prominent U.S. Attorney's offices in the country, according to ABC News. She is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, a detail ABC News noted in its report and in a photo caption describing her outside the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, on Nov. 13, 2025 — an appearance unrelated to the SDNY ruling itself, per the caption's own description.

What happens to her position now?

Furman's order directs reinstatement, meaning Comey is to return to her post at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, according to ABC News. The report, filed by reporter Aaron Katersky, does not specify an effective date for her return to work or whether the Justice Department has signaled an appeal. HTT News' companion report on the ruling, filed the same day, likewise frames the decision as a setback for the administration's handling of the termination. See: Judge Rules Trump Administration Unlawfully Fired Maurene Comey.

What hasn't been confirmed yet?

ABC News labeled its own story a developing one and said it would post updates. As of the version reviewed for this report, there was no statement quoted from the Justice Department, the White House, or Comey herself. No settlement terms, back-pay figures, or compliance deadline appear in the available reporting. Readers should expect those details, along with any administration response or appeal, to surface in follow-up coverage.

Data box: the ruling by the numbers

• Oct. 26, 2026 — date Judge Jesse Furman issued the ruling finding the firing unlawful, per ABC News.
• Nov. 13, 2025 — date of a published photo showing Comey outside a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, included in ABC News' report as background imagery, not tied to the SDNY ruling.

Those are the only two dated data points available in the sourcing reviewed. No additional figures — case numbers, salary, length of tenure, or timeline of the original termination — were included in the ABC News account as published.

The ruling leaves open how quickly the Justice Department complies, and whether it will challenge Furman's order. HTT News will update this report as the Justice Department, the White House, or Comey's legal team issue statements.