Famed national security lawyer Mark Zaid is suing the Trump administration over the revocation of his security clearance.
In late March, President Donald Trump stripped Zaid and several other high-profile individuals of security clearances in an executive order.
Unlike the bombast contained in similar such actions targeting disfavored law firms, the executive order simply said the president “determined that it is no longer in the national interest” for the 15 named individuals — many of whom are, or might be perceived as, critics or enemies of Trump — to “access classified information.”
The 29-page complaint filed Monday in a Washington, D.C., federal court assails the 45th and 47th president’s order as “improper political retribution” and “dangerous, unconstitutional retaliation.”
“The immediate effect of the revocation has been that Mr. Zaid can no longer represent current or future clients in matters where doing so requires access to classified information,” the lawsuit reads. “President Trump’s actions, and the actions of the Departments or Agencies that have complied with the President’s directive, have directly injured Mr. Zaid and his clients by undermining his ability to continue to represent them and zealously advocate on their behalf in the national security arena.”
The complaint goes on to say Zaid may lose out on...
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