Just two weeks ago, Hellerstein presided over the arraignment of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, on torture charges that were added to their ongoing narco-terrorism conspiracy case.

The judge noted that Comey had worked on some of the nation's highest-profile cases and consistently received stellar reviews.

Judge Jesse M. Furman said Comey, who was an assistant U.S. attorney for a decade, was illegally fired in July 2025 despite her work on some of the nation's highest-profile cases and consistently receiving "the highest accolades from supervisors and peers alike."