Ex-DOJ lawyer says she was fired for refusing to restore gun rights to Trump ally

A former Department of Justice lawyer told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday that she was fired for refusing to restore firearm rights to convicted domestic abuser and Trump ally Mel Gibson. Elizabeth Oyer, who served as the US pardon attorney, directly contradicted acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s explanation and urged senators to reject his nomination for attorney general.

What happened

Two days after Todd Blanche was confirmed as Deputy Attorney General, he fired Oyer from her post. Oyer testified that she had refused to recommend restoring gun rights to Mel Gibson, an actor and friend of President Trump who was previously convicted of domestic violence. "I declined to rubber-stamp a political favor for a friend of the president, and it cost me my job," Oyer said Source: The Guardian.

The dispute

During his own testimony on Wednesday, Blanche said Oyer’s termination was unrelated to the Gibson matter. "The decisions that she had made as pardon attorney in the weeks and months leading up to the end of President Biden’s term were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority," Blanche insisted Source: The Guardian. Oyer, testifying the following day, called that characterization "provably false" and said documents support her account Source: The Guardian.

Oyer's plea

Oyer expressed concern about the politicization of the Justice Department, stating that Blanche is using law enforcement powers to pursue the president’s personal grudges. She concluded by urging the committee to uphold the rule of law and not confirm Blanche, warning that his leadership would turn the department into "Donald Trump’s personal law firm" Source: The Guardian.