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Justice Department pardon lawyer who says she was fired in dispute over Mel Gibson's gun rights sues
Liz Oyer says her firing was retaliation for refusing to back restoring Mel Gibson’s gun rights and violated civil service protections, her lawsuit says.
- 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.
- Blanche denied Oyer's account, stating at his confirmation hearing last month that her firing resulted from recommendations inconsistent with Trump's authority, including commuting sentences for 37 federal death row inmates. Oyer disputed this explanation at his confirmation hearing.
- 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.
- Oyer maintains that if career officials are fired for refusing to bend rules for political friends, the message to public servants becomes clear: "loyalty to a politician matters more than loyalty to the Constitution," threatening civil service integrity.
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Associated Press News+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Justice Department pardon lawyer who says she was fired in dispute over Mel Gibson's gun rights sues
A former Justice Department pardon attorney who says she was fired after she refused to recommend the restoration of actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights has sued over her termination.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution61% Left
Bias Distribution
- 61% of the sources lean Left
61% Left
L 61%
C 31%
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