Judge halts Trump’s effort to revoke whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid’s security clearance

WASHINGTON, DC: A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s move to revoke the security clearance of attorney Mark Zaid, ordering that the clearance be restored while the legal challenge proceeds.

US District Judge Amir Ali issued a preliminary injunction on late Tuesday, December 23, concluding that the process used to revoke Zaid’s clearance did not meet procedural standards typically applied in national security cases.

The ruling paused the administration’s actions while the court considered the broader legal arguments raised in Zaid’s lawsuit.

Judge faults government over clearance procedures

In his written order, Judge Ali said that the government acted without following the customary procedures associated with security clearance determinations.

He wrote that the action against Zaid was carried out by "summarily canceling the attorney’s security clearance without any of the process that is afforded to others."

The judge said that the government did not conduct an individualized national security assessment before revoking the clearance, which Zaid had held for more than 20 years.

Ali also cited evidence presented by Zaid that access to classified information was necessary for him to effectively represent current clients in whistleblower-related cases.

Mark Zaid slams attempts to intimidate

Zaid responded to the ruling by praising the court’s decision and rejecting claims that the revocation was justified on national security grounds.

"I will not be intimidated and look forward to continuing to defend the brave men and women who stand up to the unlawful retaliation of the Trump administration," Zaid said in a statement to CBS News.

He described the injunction as a response to what he characterized as attempts to discourage lawyers from representing clients critical of the government.

Zaid previously represented the whistleblower whose complaint led to Trump’s first impeachment inquiry related to Ukraine.

White House justifies clearance revocation

Zaid filed the suit in May after Trump revoked his clearance along with those of several prominent political figures.

Those affected included former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and multiple former officials from the Biden administration.

At the time, the White House said that it was "no longer in the national interest" for those individuals to retain access to classified information.

Zaid’s lawsuit argued that the decision was retaliatory rather than based on national security considerations.

Order on hold for potential appeal

Although Judge Ali ordered the government to "immediately and fully restore" Zaid’s security clearance, he placed a 21-day administrative stay on the injunction.

The pause allows the Justice Department time to seek appellate review of the ruling.

If no appeal is filed, the injunction is set to take effect on January 13. Judge Ali also denied a Justice Department motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The case remains ongoing as the court considers the merits of Zaid’s constitutional and administrative law claims.