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Zaid represents the whistleblower involved in the impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
By Dominique McIntee — Written on Oct 06, 2019
Since Nancy Pelosi commenced impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, the political arena has been catapulted into uncharted madness.
If you live under a rock, Trump admitted to seeking help from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him to investigate (and thereby potentially damage the reputation of) former vice president and current contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden, which many assert is a violation of the Constitution.
Simply put, it’s been a mess at the White House.
Now at the forefront of all of this is Mark Zaid, the well-regarded, no-nonsense Washington, D.C. attorney representing the whistleblower who launched the frenzy.
Bold, yet professional, Zaid does not mince words, taking to Twitter and other media regularly to air his convictions.
Despite this, many have no idea who Mark Zaid is. So, who is Mark Zaid? Here’s everything you need to know.
1. Andrew Bakaj is lead counsel, while Mark Zaid is co-counsel.
Together, the two are representing the whistleblower who filed a formal complaint against President Trump.
Zaid is the founding Partner of his own practice, specifically focused on areas such as national security law, free constitutional claims and government accountability.
As stated on his firm's website, he predominantly represents "former/current federal employees, intelligence and military officers, whistleblowers and others who have grievances or have been wronged by agencies of the United States Government or foreign governments."
And that’s not all. Zaid is also the founder and Executive Director of the James Madison Project, an organization "established in 1998, to promote government accountability and reduce government secrecy as well as to educate the public on issues relating to intelligence and national security through means of research, advocacy and the dissemination of information."
2. Zaid has expressed concern over his client’s personal safety.
On September 28, Bajak and Zaid issued a letter to Acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, pointing out their safety concerns for the whistleblower in light of President Trump’s public comments, including allegations that "certain individuals have issued a $50,000 'bounty' for 'any information' relating to [their] client’s identity."
Zaid's section of additional statement released on September 30 states the following:
"In my more than twenty years of representing national security whistleblowers, and fifteen years since the Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created, I have never known nor observed a policy that a whistleblower must have first-hand information to file a complaint. My experiences have always been that whistleblower must provide evidence that can be substantiated, whether through documents or identification of witnesses. No whistleblower law I know of has any personal knowledge requirement."
3. He has previously represented clients in a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump.
Zaid was part of the legal team that represented Diana Gross and Khalid Pitts, D.C. wine bar owners who filed a civil lawsuit against Trump and his business in 2017.
The married couple claimed that competition from nearby Trump International Hotel was unfair to surrounding restaurants, calling for the President to cease operations. Unfortunately for Zaid and his clients, the case was dismissed in November 2017.
4. As an esteemed attorney, Zaid has won the trust of big-name figures.
Including FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds and Mohamed Al ;Fayed, father of Princess Diana’s boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, who died alongside her in the tragic 1997 car crash.
Former FBI translator Edmonds was fired after she raised concerns over a coworker's potential security breeches. She engaged Zaid in efforts to take legal action against the FBI for not taking her claims seriously, but the case was dismissed.
For Mohamed Al Fayed, Zaid filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the CIA, which Fayed believed was withholding information related to the deaths of Princess Diana and his son. Fayed asserted that U.S. officials had been monitoring Diana's phone conversations and therefore may have had knowledge of circumstances surrounding their death. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against Fayed.
5. Zaid co-authored a book that covers the issues of government information, freedom of information, and actions and defenses.
Fair warning, the text has a lengthy title: Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2002: Covering the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Government in the Sunshine Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Nonetheless, it’s informative, highbrow, and certainly conveys Zaid’s passion for the law and government affairs.
6. What’s next for Zaid?
The impeachment inquiry forges on, and Zaid’s advocacy for his client continues to capture national attention.
As the case progresses, we’ll find out more about how everything goes down, and most likely hear what Zaid thinks. Until then, stay tuned!
Dominique McIntee is a NYC-based writer with a moderately interesting life, knack for editing, and passion for content creation on topics ranging from fashion and food to beauty, lifestyle, music and everything in between.