Washington lawyer sues Trump administration over revocation of security
clearance
[May 06, 2025]
By ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Washington attorney sued the Trump
administration Monday over the revocation of his security clearance,
calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardizes
his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national
security cases.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, challenges a March
presidential memorandum that singled out attorney Mark Zaid and 14 other
individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their
clearances because it was “no longer in the national interest.” The list
included targets of Trump's fury from both the political and legal
spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York
Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden and members
of his family.
The action was part of a much broader retribution campaign that Trump
has waged since returning to the White House, including by directing
specific Justice Department investigations against perceived adversaries
and issuing sweeping executive orders targeting law firms over legal
work he does not like.
Since the memo was issued, his lawsuit says, Zaid has been informed by
government agencies including the CIA that he can no longer access
classified information in ongoing matters in light of Trump's order. The
“immediate effect” is that Zaid cannot continue to work for clients in
cases that require his ability to review classified materials,
“undermining his ability to continue to represent them and zealously
advocate on their behalf in the national security arena," according to
the lawsuit.
“By implementing the Memorandum, Defendants have strayed far afield of
any deference granted to them by existing case law. Instead, they have
launched a bald-faced attack on a sacred constitutional guarantee: the
right to petition the court or federal agencies on behalf of clients,”
the lawsuit states. “An attack on this right is especially insidious
because it jeopardizes Mr. Zaid’s ability to pursue and represent the
rights of others without fear of retribution.”
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The lawsuit was filed by a team of lawyers including Abbe Lowell, a
veteran Washington lawyer who last week announced that he was
opening his own legal practice and would represent targets of
Trump's retribution. Other clients include James, the New York
attorney general, as well as Miles Taylor, who served in Trump's
first administration and was later revealed to be the author of an
anonymous New York Times op-ed in 2018 that was sharply critical of
Trump. Trump last month directed the Justice Department to
investigate Taylor's activities.
Zaid says in his lawsuit that he has represented clients across the
political spectrum over nearly 35 years, including government
officials, law enforcement and military officials and
whistleblowers. In 2019, he represented an intelligence community
whistleblower whose account of a conversation between Trump and
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy helped set the stage for the
first of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term.
“His significant experience and qualifications make him remarkably
valuable as counsel to current and former federal employees who
require legal advice. As a lawyer well-versed in suing the United
States Government,” the lawsuit says, “he is no stranger to
identifying overreach and exposing the abuse of power. And that is
exactly why he is being targeted now.”
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