On March 27, 2026, the Knight Institute joined the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Rutherford Institute in filing an amicus brief in Zaid v. Executive Office of the President, a case challenging the Trump administration’s revocation of attorney Mark Zaid’s security clearance. Zaid is a national security lawyer who represents whistleblowers and others in matters involving classified information, including the intelligence community whistleblower whose disclosures led to the first impeachment of President Trump.

Zaid’s lawsuit alleges that the revocation of his security clearance was unconstitutional retaliation for his legal advocacy and his representation of clients whose interests are adverse to the government. In support of Zaid, the Knight Institute’s amicus brief argues that the executive branch may not use its security-clearance authority to punish lawyers for representing disfavored clients, and that retaliatory clearance decisions are not immune from judicial review.

The brief urges the D.C. Circuit to affirm the district court’s December 2025 preliminary injunction, arguing that retaliatory clearance revocations would chill representation in politically sensitive cases, undermine the independence of the bar, and impair the ability of clients to obtain counsel in national security matters.

Status: Argued on May 14, 2026; awaiting decision.

Case Information: Zaid v. Executive Office of the President, No. 26-5009 (D.C. Cir.).