NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge signaled Thursday that the U.S. Justice Department might be right in its argument that fired prosecutor Maurene Comey’s wrongfully termination claims don’t belong in court just yet.

Judge Jesse M. Furman in Manhattan declined at a hearing to let lawyers for Comey immediately gather evidence to learn who ordered her firing and how it transpired. He told both sides to submit written arguments in coming weeks.

Furman said the government had made “serious arguments” when it said in court papers that Comey’s complaint about her July firing must first be considered by the federal Merit Systems Protection Board in an administrative setting.

Comey, the daughter of ex-FBI Director James Comey, is seeking evidence from the government before the judge decides on the

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