Mastodawn

#law #judiciary #RevengePolitics #Trump

The March presidential memorandum singled out Zaid & 14 other individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their #security clearances because it was “no longer in the national interest.” The list included targets of Trump’s fury from both the political & legal spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General #LisaMonaco, #NYAG #LetitiaJames, President Joe #Biden & members of his family.

#law #judiciary #RevengePolitics

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington granted Zaid’s request for a preliminary injunction, after he sued the #Trump admin in May over the revocation of his #security clearance. Zaid’s request called it an act of “improper political #retribution” that jeopardized his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases.

#law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #RevengePolitics

The decision marked yet another legal setback for the admin Tuesday, after #SCOTUS declined to allow #Trump to deploy #NationalGuard troops in the #Chicago area, capping a first year in office in which Trump’s efforts to impose a sweeping agenda & pursue #retribution against political adversaries have been repeatedly slowed by the #courts.

#law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #RevengePolitics
https://apnews.com/article/trump-whistleblower-security-clearance-mark-zaid-2a6f7d23dc85d7e1db2ac9a38e548b8e

Judge blocks #Trump effort to strip #security clearance from #attorney who represented #whistleblowers

A federal judge has blocked the Trump admin from enforcing a March presidential memo to revoke the security clearance of prominent Washington atty #MarkZaid, ruling that the order — which also targeted 14 other individuals — could not be applied to him.

Judge blocks Trump effort to strip security clearance from whistleblowers' attorney

A federal judge is halting the enforcement of a March presidential memorandum that revoked the security clearance of a prominent Washington attorney. Mark Zaid was one of 15 individuals singled out by the Trump administration; the Washington attorney has in the past represented a number of prominent government whistleblowers. Zaid had sued the Trump administration in response to the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardized his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington granted Zaid's request for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday.

AP News

#judiciary #RevengePolitics #FEMA #disaster #immigration #Trump

“Defendants’ wanton abuse of their role in #federal grant administration is particularly troublesome given the fact that they have been entrusted with a most solemn duty: safeguarding our nation & its citizens,” McElroy wrote. “While the intricacies of administrative #law & the terms & conditions on federal grants may seem abstract to some, the #funding at issue here supports vital #counterterrorism & law enforcement programs.”

#law #judiciary #RevengePolitics #FEMA #disaster #immigration

“Neither a law degree nor a degree in mathematics is required to deduce that no plausible, rational formula could produce this result,” McElroy added.

The #Trump appointed judge then ordered DHS to restore the previously announced #funding allocations to the plaintiff #states.

In her 48-page ruling, McElroy found that the #federal government was weighing #states’ police on federal #immigration enforcement on whether to reduce federal #funding for the #HomelandSecurity Grant Program & others.

“What else could defendants’ decisions to cut funding to specific counterterrorism programming by conspicuous round numbered amounts — including by slashing off the millions-place digits of awarded sums — be if not arbitrary & capricious?” McElroy wrote.

#law #judiciary #Trump