AP Washington

The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a veteran federal prosecutor who worked on the cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. There was no specific reason given for her firing, according to one of the people. They spoke to the AP on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.

Maurene Comey was a veteran lawyer in the Southern District of New York, long considered the most elite of the Justice Department's prosecution offices. Her cases included the sex trafficking prosecution of Epstein, who killed himself behind bars in 2019, and the recent case against Combs, which ended earlier this month with a mixed verdict.  She didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Wednesday. 

It's the latest move by the Justice Department to fire lawyers without explanation, which has raised alarm over a disregard for civil service protections designed to prevent terminations for political reasons. The Justice Department has also fired a number of prosecutors who worked on cases that have provoked President Donald Trump's ire, including some who handled US Capitol riot cases and lawyers and support staff who worked on special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of Trump.

Maurene Comey was long seen as a potential target given her father's fraught relationship over the last decade with Trump. The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of a probe into James Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear.