A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday preventing the Trump administration from enforcing a presidential memorandum aimed at revoking the security clearance of Washington attorney Mark Zaid.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali halts the enforcement of a March directive that targeted Zaid and 14 other individuals. The White House had previously asserted that these individuals were unsuitable to retain their clearances, stating their access was “no longer in the national interest.”
The decision from the District Court came on the same day the Supreme Court declined a separate administration request to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area.
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Zaid filed suit against the administration in May, challenging the revocation. In his filing, Zaid argued that the move constituted “improper political retribution” which impacted his ability to represent clients in national security cases. Zaid has practiced law for nearly 35 years, often representing intelligence officers, military officials, and whistleblowers.
In his Tuesday order, Judge Ali stated that the government cannot utilize the summary revocation of security clearances to penalize attorneys for representing clients who are adverse to the administration.
“This court joins the several others in this district that have enjoined the government from using the summary revocation of security clearances to penalize lawyers for representing people adverse to it,” Ali wrote.
The judge clarified that the injunction, which takes effect January 13, is specific to the March presidential memorandum. The order does not prevent federal agencies from suspending or revoking Zaid’s clearance through standard administrative processes if independent reasons exist.
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The March memorandum included a list of various figures from the legal and political spheres, such as former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and members of President Joe Biden’s family.
Zaid is well-known for representing the intelligence community whistleblower involved in the inquiry regarding a 2019 conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Following the ruling, Zaid released a statement addressing the decision.
“This is not just a victory for me, it’s an indictment of the Trump administration’s attempts to intimidate and silence the legal community,” Zaid stated. “Especially lawyers who represent people who dare to question or hold this government accountable.”
The administration has not yet announced if it will appeal the decision.
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