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Justice Department pardon lawyer who says she was fired in dispute over Mel Gibson’s gun rights sues
Elizabeth Oyer says the firing violated civil service law and free speech protections after she refused to recommend restoring Mel Gibson’s gun rights.
- Former Justice Department pardon attorney Liz Oyer sued the agency Thursday, alleging she was fired for refusing to restore actor Mel Gibson's gun rights as an illegal "political favor" for a friend of President Donald Trump.
- Oyer objected to the request citing Gibson's prior domestic violence conviction, which resulted in the loss of his gun privileges; her March 2025 termination followed her refusal to comply with then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's staff.
- At his confirmation hearing last month, Blanche denied Oyer's account, stating her firing resulted from recommendations inconsistent with Trump's authority, including commuting sentences for 37 federal death row inmates.
- Seeking reinstatement, Oyer filed her lawsuit in Washington after the Merit Systems Protection Board left her complaint in "prolonged limbo," arguing her termination violated First Amendment rights and civil service protections.
- The case extends beyond Oyer's reinstatement, as she maintains firing career officials for refusing to bend rules sends the message that "loyalty to a politician matters more than loyalty to the Constitution.
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Fmr Pardon Attorney Sues DOJ Over Mel Gibson Case
Alleging she was fired for refusing to recommend that actor Mel Gibson, who supports President Donald Trump, have his gun rights restored as a political favor, the Justice Department's former pardon attorney sued the department.
·Boca Raton, United States
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DOJ Sued For Firing Pardon Attorney Over Mel Gibson
The Guardian reports: The former pardon attorney for the US Justice Department, Elizabeth Oyer, filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the department and Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing them of “unlawfully” firing her last year after she said she refused to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights. In the complaint, filed in the US … The post DOJ Sued For Firing Pardon Attorney Over Mel Gibson appeared first on Joe.My.God..
Coverage Details
Total News Sources37
Leaning Left14Leaning Right4Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
45% Left
L 45%
C 42%
13%
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