Prosecutor in Diddy and Epstein cases fired by justice department

The US Department of Justice has fired a veteran federal prosecutor who worked on the cases against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and 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 her exit was confirmed by sources to the BBC's US partner CBS.

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

The justice department has been firing lawyers who worked on cases that angered the president, including the 2021 US Capitol riot and a special prosecutor investigation of Trump.

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, a person familiar with the matter told Politico.

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.

• Trump's Epstein strategy could pit him against loyal supporters

The well-connected convicted paedophile died by suicide 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 client list and no further files would be disclosed.

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.