Challenge President Trump's Unprecedented Authority

This fundraiser is to help us provide pro bono legal representation to Mary Comans, who was fired last month by President Donald J. Trump, from her position as Chief Financial Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mary was a member of a select few highly trustworthy and non-partisan public servants who served as part of the Senior Executive Service, which she has done for nearly a decade of her more than twenty years of federal service.

Please make a donation today to support our pro bono legal support for Mary Comans who was illegally fired, targeted, and abused by the Trump Administration.

On February 11, 2025, Mary received a short memorandum that terminated her employment and which simply said: "This action is being taken pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution, at the direction of the President. Article II, § 1 states that the executive Power 'shall be vested in a President of the United States of America,' and this termination is an exercise of that vested power." Absolutely no advance notice was provided to her. Absolutely no specific reasons were provided. Absolutely no opportunity was provided to her to respond before termination. Absolutely no due process - despite multiple statutes requiring procedural and substantive due process - was provided to her. This is an absolute unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.

Why as Mary fired? Because she was doing her job in ensuring that FEMA funds that had been allocated to New York City were paid, and she had the lawful approval of DHS and FEMA leadership, to include its lawyers. Even DOGE representatives directed FEMA to continue making payments to state and local entities that were owed reimbursement. To make matters worse, when she was fired DHS issued a press release that asserted she had falsely circumvented "leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants" and called her a "deep state activist". MAGA influencers like Laura Loomer, Benny Johnson and Elon Musk maliciously defamed her to millions of people by describing her actions as "illegal" or "criminal".

We must fight back to uphold the law and protect our rights as Americans.

On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, our law firm, along with State Democracy Defenders Fund, filed two legal actions to challenge these actions. A federal lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to pursue Privacy Act violations against DHS/FEMA and a challenge was simultaneously submitted to the Merit Systems Protection Board to ensure Mary receives lawful due process and the President's assertion of constitutional supremacy is kept in check. It is very likely one or both of these legal matters may go up to the Supreme Court given the forthcoming showdown concerning the extent to which presidential authority can be stopped by the federal Judiciary.

Mark S. Zaid, PC (Washington, D.C.) is representing Mary pro bono (i.e., no legal fees are charged to her) to defend her against this unconstitutional and unlawful action. Our law firm has been continually and actively standing up to former President Donald J. Trump and his allies since 2017. Among others, the Zaid law firm represented the Intelligence Community whistleblower whose complaint led to President Trump’s first impeachment, several U.S. Capitol Police officials who helped defend the U.S. Capitol including the late Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the aftermath of the attempted January 6th insurrection, and defended Olivia Troye against a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump’s former Ambassador to Germany (and currently a Special Envoy to the President) Rick Grenell as well as Fred Wellman, a former Executive Director of the Lincoln Project, who was sued for defamation by retired disgraced General Michael Flynn. The firm has also represented several of Trump’s former Cabinet Officers to ensure their books were published for the American people and the world to read. And the firm is currently engaged, also pro bono, to represent countless federal employees at various federal agencies, to include FBI, DOJ, CIA, DHS, USAID, FEMA and others, who are being terminated and targeted by the second Trump Administration.

Your support will enable us to go up against a regime that is threatening democracy, our nation’s security, as well as defend all those who swear an oath to serve YOU and our Constitution.

Litigation of any sort becomes expensive very quickly, and these cases are no different. There will be countless legal hours immediately devoted to these efforts and especially out-of-pocket costs for depositions (perhaps even of President Trump). We would not be able to take on these pro bono cases without the assistance of members of the public.

Please help us fight back against these unlawful actions by contributing even a small donation. As we are dealing with the continuing retaliatory and vindictive behavior of President Trump and his allies during this second Administration, help us use the judicial system to make a difference and preserve our Democracy.