The judge laid the (sledge)hammer down on the DOJ. Now isn’t that something we all love to see? We all remember how she was fired by Bondi for no specific reason at all, except that we know she worked on major prosecutions such as Epstein and Ghislaine. Now, one would think that it’s not a bad thing to have worked on those cases. Those two needed to go down, down, down. (Gee, how are things going for Ghislaine in her cushy, practically no-security prison?) Maurene was fired under Article II of the Constitution, *by email*. That right there told us it was prejudiced. And there were no other specifics.
Turns out that was illegal, and the DOJ learned it the hard way. She had federal employment protections. Apparently, Trump and Blondi … er, Bondi either didn’t know or didn’t think about that. Ms. Comey took the administration to court. She had no warning and no reason listed for the firing. Potential reasons were either because of either her father, whom the DOJ is *still* trying to take to court, or her apparent political views. Petty reasons.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman told the DOJ she is to be reinstated immediately and paid up to the date she accepted private employment. He concluded that her removal violated the Civil Service Reform Act. He also stated to the administration that Congress *can* limit the ability to dismiss federal prosecutors. It’s great to know the administration has been told they cannot screw with federal prosecutors and that they have protections. It makes one wonder if others who were fired can also sue. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
Turns out no one’s name is attached to her firing, only that it came from Washington. That makes it a challenge. Who made the decision? There are a number of names who could have done so, and of course, at the top of the list is Trump. His decisions are not well thought out. Trump tends to be a man of ugly impulses. And taking out his frustrations with her father, James Comey, is ridiculous. They are two separate people. But as always, that’s Trump. This is not something we should be saying about the president of the US. Were there any other presidents like this? “It’s just Trump (and his shizzle)”.
But digression aside, many people have asked that question, and there really isn’t a definitive answer to the mystery of Trump. Ms. Comey has consistent high marks among supervisors and colleagues. A few notes follow, thanks to AlterNet:
The ruling establishes that her dismissal violated federal law, the constitutional separation of powers, and her Fifth Amendment due process rights. It does not find that she was fired in retaliation for her father. Furman warned that accepting the Justice Department’s broad reading of executive power would upset the constitutional balance of the country.
Gee, ya think? Well, Ms. Comey’s name has been cleared, and reparations are being made to her. It’s about time something went right. Oh, and? The DOJ is trying to indict her father on a third thing. Good grief.
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
