Former Pardon Attorney Accuses AG Nominee of Political Retaliation

During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday, former pardon attorney Liz Oyer testified that she was dismissed after refusing to recommend restoring firearms rights to actor Mel Gibson, a Trump ally convicted of domestic-violence offenses. Oyer asserted that her termination was directly linked to her refusal to “rubber-stamp a political favor” for the president.

The Guardian

Oyer served as a US pardon attorney under the Biden administration. In the weeks before President Biden left office, she reviewed a request to reinstate Gibson’s gun rights. Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, later fired Oyer, stating that her recommendation “did not lead to her termination.” Blanche further claimed that Oyer’s prior decisions “were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority.”

The Guardian

Blanche told the committee that the timing of Oyer’s dismissal was unrelated to the Gibson case, emphasizing that “the decisions that she had made as pardon attorney … were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority.” He maintained that his actions were based on policy considerations rather than personal retaliation.

The Guardian

Oyer countered Blanche’s account, describing his explanation as “provably false” and saying that documentary evidence contradicts his claim. She urged senators to reject the nomination, warning that “Mr Blanche is running the DoJ as Donald Trump’s personal law firm” and that such conduct “wastes our scarce resources and destroys the DoJ’s credibility.”

The Guardian

• “I declined to rubber-stamp a political favor for a friend of the president, and it cost me my job,” — Liz Oyer, former US pardon attorney

The Guardian

• “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,” — Todd Blanche, AG nominee

The Guardian

• “His claim that it had nothing to do with the concerns I raised is contradicted by documents and evidence,” — Liz Oyer

The Guardian

• “To the American public, it looks like Mr Blanche is running the DoJ as Donald Trump’s personal law firm,” — Liz Oyer

The Guardian