Justice Department fires national security prosecutor after social media post falsely links him to Comey case

The Trump administration dismissed Michael Ben'Ary, the top national security prosecutor in the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, following a social media post that falsely linked him to the case of FBI Director James Comey. Two people familiar with the matter confirmed the firing occurred Wednesday, October 1.

Julie Kelly, a pro-Trump activist and writer, posted on X about Ben'Ary, stating: "One can only assume he was a big part of the internal resistance to the Comey indictment."

Ben'Ary was not involved in the Comey case, one person familiar with the matter told CNN. Ben'Ary previously served as chief of the national security section in the Alexandria, Virginia-based office and worked at Justice Department headquarters.


Also read: James Comey’s defense gets a good start, and Trump reportedly isn't happy over it

Comey indictment followed career prosecutors' concerns

A grand jury indicted Comey last week on two felony counts. The indictment came after career lawyers in the office wrote a memo outlining concerns that evidence in the case did not support prosecution.

President Donald Trump fired his own nominee to lead the office before the Comey indictment and installed his former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan as interim US attorney. Trump had publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to target political enemies including Comey.

Firing follows pattern of social media-influenced dismissals

The dismissal appears to continue a series of purges targeting Justice Department prosecutors and employees after prominent MAGA influencers identified them on social media.

Three former FBI agents cited social media posts by pro-Trump accounts as influencing their firings at the bureau in a lawsuit filed last month.