**U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albany to Defend Trump Administration in Maurene Comey Lawsuit**

A U.S. attorney’s office in Albany will defend the Trump administration in a lawsuit brought by fired prosecutor Maurene Comey, after her former office in Manhattan recused itself from the case.

Maurene Comey is suing the Justice Department, alleging that her sudden firing in July was illegal and “politically motivated” due to her father James Comey’s longstanding criticism of President Trump, who fired James Comey as FBI director in 2017.

On Thursday, a lawyer from the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of New York informed a federal judge that she would represent the Justice Department in the lawsuit, according to a court document marking the first formal appearance by an attorney for the government since the case was filed in September.

The attorney, Karen Folster Lesperance, explained in a letter that the Northern District, located in Albany, agreed to take on the case last month because the Manhattan-based Southern District had recused itself. She requested an extension of the upcoming deadline to respond to the case, noting that Maurene Comey’s attorneys had agreed to the extension.

“While we are working diligently to familiarize ourselves with this matter and prepare the government’s response, additional time is needed to draft an anticipated motion to dismiss and consult with Department officials as necessary,” Lesperance wrote. She also mentioned that most members of her office’s civil division had been furloughed due to the government shutdown and returned to the office only on Thursday.

The letter did not specify the reason the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York recused itself from the case. However, Maurene Comey had served as a prosecutor in that office for years, working on high-profile prosecutions including those of Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell. Her father, James Comey, also led the Southern District office in the early 2000s.

Maurene Comey was fired in July. Two months later, she filed suit against the government, calling her termination illegal and arguing that she was unconstitutionally punished because of her father’s clashes with President Trump. She has asked a federal judge to declare her firing unlawful and to order the Justice Department to reinstate her with back pay.

Separately, James Comey was criminally charged in September for allegedly lying to Congress. His lawyers have pushed for the charges to be dropped, describing them as vindictive and motivated by President Trump’s “personal animus.”

Maurene Comey’s lawyers will now face civil attorneys in the Northern District of New York, an office led by acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. Sarcone, a Trump appointee, previously served as interim U.S. attorney—a role limited to 120 days. When that term ended, federal judges in the district declined to extend his tenure. The Justice Department then appointed him acting U.S. attorney, a controversial move that the Trump administration has attempted in several other offices, drawing legal challenges in some cases.

CBS News has reached out to representatives from the Justice Department, John Sarcone, Karen Folster Lesperance, and Maurene Comey’s attorney for comment. A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/manhattan-doj-office-recuses-itself-from-maurene-comey-lawsuit-challenging-her-firing/