WASHINGTON: A US federal prosecutor who handled the case of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and is the daughter of a prominent critic of President Donald Trump has been abruptly fired, US media reported.
Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, was dismissed on Wednesday from her position as an assistant US attorney in Manhattan, several major US outlets reported.
The Justice Department declined to confirm Comey’s firing to AFP, saying it would have “no comment on personnel.”
Politico published a message Comey, who spent 10 years in the US attorney’s office, sent to her former colleagues in which she said she had been “summarily fired” by the Justice Department with no reason given.
She also encouraged them not to fall prey to “fear.”
“If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain,” Comey said. “Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant.”
Comey’s dismissal comes a week after the Justice Department confirmed it had opened an unspecified criminal investigation into her father, a long-time Trump adversary.
It also comes amid mounting pressure on Trump to release material from the probe into Epstein, who committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking.
Comey was among the prosecutors who handled the case involving the wealthy financier, which never went to trial because of his death.
She also prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate who has been criminally charged in connection with his activities.
Trump is facing the most serious split in his loyal right-wing base since he returned to power over claims his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein’s crimes to protect rich and powerful figures.
The Trump-supporting far-right has long latched on to the scandal, claiming the existence of a still-secret list of Epstein’s powerful clients and that the late financier was in fact murdered in his cell as part of a cover-up.
The Justice Department and FBI said this month that there was no evidence that Epstein kept a “client list” or was blackmailing powerful figures.
Comey’s father, the former FBI chief, has had a contentious history with Trump dating back to his first term in the White House.
Trump fired Comey in 2017 as the then-FBI chief was leading an investigation into whether any members of the Trump campaign had colluded with Moscow to sway the 2016 presidential vote, in which the Republican beat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Since taking office in January, Trump has taken a number of punitive measures against his perceived enemies, stripping former officials of their security clearances and protective details, targeting law firms involved in past cases against him and pulling federal funding from universities.
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US prosecutor in Epstein, Maxwell cases abruptly fired
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US prosecutor in Epstein, Maxwell cases abruptly fired
Morocco's cereals harvest expected to double after wet winter
RABAT: Moroccan grains traders and millers expect Morocco to double its cereals harvest this season after abundant winter rains, with limited impact from floods in the northwestern plains of the North African country, which is a major grains importer.
Industry leaders plan to add domestic wheat to strategic reserves this year "without compromising imports", said Moulay Abdelkader Alaoui, head of the federation of industrial millers FNM, who expects a domestic harvest of 6 million metric tons.
"We expect a good cereals harvest this year of 8 to 9 million tons, including around 5 million tons of soft wheat," Omar Yacoubi, head of Morocco's wheat trading federation FNCL, told Reuters. The previous harvest was 4.4 million tons, including 2.4 million tons of soft wheat.
Morocco traditionally cancels its wheat import subsidy and reinstates customs duties to protect the local harvest.
But this year importers, millers and traders have asked the government to extend the subsidy window to June 1, instead of May 1, to compensate for costs incurred due to bad weather.
Rainfall this winter was 34% above the 30-year average and triple the previous year's levels, while dam filling rates improved to 70% from about 25%, agriculture ministry data shows, while the total grain-planted area rose to 3.7 million hectares, from 2.6 million the year before.
Flooding in the fertile northwestern plains, which destroyed 110,000 hectares, had a "localised" impact, Yacoubi said, with wheat losses to be offset by higher yields in larger plains.
DELAYED SHIPPING
Large swells and storms since mid-December have disrupted port operations at Casablanca and Jorf Lasfar, which handle 80% of Morocco's wheat imports.
Shipping delays have weighed heavily on importers, even as international wheat prices remain below the subsidy eligibility threshold, Yacoubi said, adding that as of this week, 70 ships carrying 1 million tons of wheat were queued outside ports, leading to low stock levels.
Moroccan importers are paying about $20,000 per day for ships waiting offshore, pushing them to request an extension of the government subsidy programme.
Traditionally, only half of Morocco's harvest reaches industrial mills because small farmers retain wheat for their own use, but Alaoui said this year's plentiful rainfall should improve crop quality and encourage more collection.
French exporters expect to supply about two-thirds of Morocco's soft wheat import needs, or 3.5 million tons.
From June 2025 to January 2026, Morocco imported 7 million tons of grains, up 12% year-on-year, including 3.2 million tons of soft wheat.
During the same period, France topped Morocco's soft wheat suppliers with 2.26 million tons, followed by Argentina with 233,144 tons, Russia with 227,070 tons, Germany with 120,084 tons and the U.S. with 94,688 tons.
Industry leaders plan to add domestic wheat to strategic reserves this year "without compromising imports", said Moulay Abdelkader Alaoui, head of the federation of industrial millers FNM, who expects a domestic harvest of 6 million metric tons.
"We expect a good cereals harvest this year of 8 to 9 million tons, including around 5 million tons of soft wheat," Omar Yacoubi, head of Morocco's wheat trading federation FNCL, told Reuters. The previous harvest was 4.4 million tons, including 2.4 million tons of soft wheat.
Morocco traditionally cancels its wheat import subsidy and reinstates customs duties to protect the local harvest.
But this year importers, millers and traders have asked the government to extend the subsidy window to June 1, instead of May 1, to compensate for costs incurred due to bad weather.
Rainfall this winter was 34% above the 30-year average and triple the previous year's levels, while dam filling rates improved to 70% from about 25%, agriculture ministry data shows, while the total grain-planted area rose to 3.7 million hectares, from 2.6 million the year before.
Flooding in the fertile northwestern plains, which destroyed 110,000 hectares, had a "localised" impact, Yacoubi said, with wheat losses to be offset by higher yields in larger plains.
DELAYED SHIPPING
Large swells and storms since mid-December have disrupted port operations at Casablanca and Jorf Lasfar, which handle 80% of Morocco's wheat imports.
Shipping delays have weighed heavily on importers, even as international wheat prices remain below the subsidy eligibility threshold, Yacoubi said, adding that as of this week, 70 ships carrying 1 million tons of wheat were queued outside ports, leading to low stock levels.
Moroccan importers are paying about $20,000 per day for ships waiting offshore, pushing them to request an extension of the government subsidy programme.
Traditionally, only half of Morocco's harvest reaches industrial mills because small farmers retain wheat for their own use, but Alaoui said this year's plentiful rainfall should improve crop quality and encourage more collection.
French exporters expect to supply about two-thirds of Morocco's soft wheat import needs, or 3.5 million tons.
From June 2025 to January 2026, Morocco imported 7 million tons of grains, up 12% year-on-year, including 3.2 million tons of soft wheat.
During the same period, France topped Morocco's soft wheat suppliers with 2.26 million tons, followed by Argentina with 233,144 tons, Russia with 227,070 tons, Germany with 120,084 tons and the U.S. with 94,688 tons.
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