The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s order reinstating security clearances for whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid.
A senior counsel in the Justice Department notified the US District Court for the District of Columbia of appeal plans last week. Judge Amir H. Ali had ruled Dec. 23 that Zaid was entitled to relief in the case that involved “the government’s retribution.”
Zaid is an attorney who specializes in national security law and represents current and former federal employees, military service members and government contractors, according to his memorandum to Judge Ali. He held security clearances for over two decades and had been granted access to classified information through case-specific authorizations.
Zaid fell into President Trump’s crosshairs for representing an intelligence community member who accused the president of attempting to extort Ukraine into producing dirt on Joe Biden in the lead up to the 2020 election. Trump revoked Zaid’s security clearances last year in a March memorandum that targeted several political opponents, including Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Letitia James.
The whistleblower lawyer then sued the Trump administration in May. Zaid’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has claimed in court that access to classified materials is central to his client’s work.
The case is Mark Zaid v. Executive Office of the President, D.C. Cir. App., 26-5009, 1/13/26
To contact the reporter on this story: Justin Henry in Washington DC at ...
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