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.

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During a hearing earlier this month, Hellerstein coughed and struggled to speak at times

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

A federal judge has ruled that Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was unlawfully fired from her job as a federal prosecutor in New York last year

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