Trump signed an executive order in March saying it was „no longer in the national interest“ for attorney Mark Zaid and others to access classified information.
A federal judge blocked President Trump’s attempt to strip a security clearance from whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid Tuesday, finding that the Trump administration did so in „retribution“ and without proper due process.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled Tuesday night that „the government’s retribution“ against Zaid was „carried out by summarily canceling the attorney’s security clearance without any of the process that is afforded to others.“ Ali said the administration had not conducted an individualized national security assessment of Zaid’s clearance before stripping him of it.
The judge also found that Zaid introduced credible evidence that he „cannot properly advise current clients because he is precluded from accessing classified material and using classified information“ in their defense.
