A former Justice Department pardon attorney filed a lawsuit challenging her termination, asserting she was fired after declining to recommend the restoration of gun rights for actor Mel Gibson. According to the lawsuit, the attorney, Liz Oyer, objected to a request from the staff of then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to add Gibson to a list of individuals for whom the Justice Department would recommend reinstatement of firearm privileges. Oyer stated her objection was based on public safety concerns related to Gibson’s prior domestic violence conviction that had resulted in the loss of his gun rights.
Oyer described the termination as occurring rapidly following her drafting of a memo outlining her concerns, with a colleague removing her from a meeting and Justice Department security escorting her from the building after delivering a termination letter. The lawsuit characterizes the firing as illegal retaliation for her refusal to grant what Oyer describes as a political favor to someone connected to President Donald Trump. Oyer is seeking a court order declaring the firing unlawful and requesting reinstatement to federal service.
Blanche, who now serves as attorney general following a Senate confirmation hearing last month, disputed Oyer’s account during that hearing. He stated he was unaware of Gibson’s situation when he made the termination decision and said Oyer was fired for multiple reasons. Blanche cited her previous recommendations during the Biden administration, including her role in commuting death sentences, as grounds for termination, stating her decisions were inconsistent with Trump administration priorities.
Oyer’s lawsuit represents one in a series filed by Justice Department staff members challenging terminations they consider unlawful under the Trump administration. In her statement, Oyer asserted the case extends beyond her individual circumstances, arguing it concerns the ability of career civil servants to perform their duties without political pressure. Oyer testified against Blanche’s nomination, noting that the explanation regarding sentence commutation recommendations was the first time she had heard that justification for her firing.
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