DOJ Attorney Fired After Refusing to Restore Mel Gibson's Gun Rights, Claims Whistleblower

Allegations of Political Interference in DOJ Decisions

• 🎯 A former U.S. pardon attorney, Liz Oyer, claims she was fired from the Department of Justice after refusing to recommend the restoration of actor Mel Gibson's gun rights.
• 📌 Oyer states the request to restore Gibson's rights, which were lost after a 2011 domestic violence plea, came from an official within the Deputy Attorney General's office.
• ⚠️ She asserts that restoring gun rights to individuals with a history of domestic violence poses a significant public safety risk.

Circumstances of Termination

• ⚡ Oyer alleges that within hours of her decision not to recommend Gibson's gun rights restoration, she was escorted out of her office by DOJ security.
• 🗓️ The events unfolded rapidly, with the request made on a Thursday evening and her termination occurring the following Friday morning.
• 🗣️ Oyer believes her termination was a direct consequence of her refusal to comply with a directive she deemed ethically problematic.

DOJ Response and Oyer's Rebuttal

• 🚫 Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche denies Oyer's account, stating her version of events is false and her accusations violate her ethical duties.
• ⚖️ Oyer counters that her ethical duty is to uphold the law and serve the public, not to conceal dissenting views or potentially politically motivated decisions within the DOJ.
• 🔒 She expresses concern that career employees are being punished for speaking up and that dissent within the department is being aggressively silenced.

Role of the Pardon Attorney

• 🔑 Oyer clarifies that her office's role is not to consult on high-profile political pardons, but to assist average citizens seeking clemency.
• 🏛️ She notes her office was not involved in drafting the January 6th pardons, emphasizing the importance of clear documentation in such matters.
• 📉 Oyer describes the last seven weeks at the DOJ as incredibly stressful, with a shift from consulting experts to executing leadership decisions, feeling that career employees are being used to legitimize politically driven choices.