A federal judge reversed President Donald Trump’s decision on Tuesday to strip an attorney’s security clearance.
Attorney Mark Zaid, who represented the whistleblower whose complaint about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky led to his first impeachment in 2019, sued to regain his clearance in May.
District Court Judge Amir Ali agreed with Zaid’s claim that his clearance was likely revoked as retribution for representing clients who complained about the government.
“But here, the summary revocation of Zaid’s security clearance was not based on any national security interest,” the judge wrote. “Instead, on this record, the government’s sole interest was retribution against an attorney for representing clients adverse to the government. That is not a legitimate governmental interest, and it cannot override the right of Zaid’s clients to their chosen counsel.”
Ali blocked White House and intelligence agency officials from giving effect to Trump’s decision. He put his order on hold until Jan. 13, 2026, to allow time for the government to appeal.
Zaid did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump included Zaid on a list of individuals in March who he deemed it was “no longer in the national interest” to allow access to classified information. The list featured Hillary Clinton, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Democrat lawyer Norman Eisen, among others.
Trump called Zaid a “sleazeball” who should be sued for treason in 2019. Zaid identifies as a political independent and has represented clients on all sides, including the Daily Caller and the Republican National Committee.
“I have gone out of my way constantly for 33 years not to be partisan,” Zaid said in a February interview with The Record. “And unfortunately the right and left wings, but particularly the right wing, doesn’t really understand what that terminology means — that like, you don’t have to like Donald Trump. And that doesn’t mean you’re being partisan.”
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