Elizabeth Oyer, the former pardon attorney for the US Department of Justice (DoJ), filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the department and Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing them of unlawfully firing her last year after she refused to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson's gun rights. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that in early 2025, while serving as pardon attorney, Oyer was asked to disregard her duties and facilitate a political favor for Gibson based on his relationship with President Donald Trump.
Lawsuit alleges political favor for Gibson
According to the lawsuit, Oyer was asked to make it seem like an independent review had concluded that Gibson, who was convicted of a domestic violence offense, should have his gun rights restored. Oyer declined, and shortly after, she was fired by then Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The DoJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian about the lawsuit and its allegations.
Following Oyer's dismissal in March last year, a DoJ official told the New York Times that the disagreement over Gibson played no role in the decision to dismiss her. Gibson, a prominent supporter of Trump, had lost his gun rights following a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction, according to the newspaper. In April 2025, the Times reported that the DoJ was set to restore Gibson's gun rights.
Oyer's account and legal claims
Oyer previously told the Times in an interview last year that she was dismissed a day after refusing to recommend restoring Gibson's gun rights. Two people familiar with the events confirmed Oyer's account of DoJ discussions about guns, domestic violence, and star power, according to the newspaper. The lawsuit states that Oyer served as the pardon attorney from April 2022 until March 2025, and before that she was an assistant federal public defender and a senior litigation counsel in the office of the federal public defender for the District of Maryland.
Oyer argues in the lawsuit that her removal was unlawful and violated her constitutional due process rights, her rights under the Civil Service Reform Act, and her First Amendment rights. The lawsuit also argues that her removal violated core separation of powers principles.
Remedies sought
Oyer is asking the court to declare her removal unlawful, reinstate her to federal service, and restore the pay and benefits she says she is owed. She is also seeking an order to prohibit the DoJ from taking any further adverse personnel action against her without the protections required by law. The case highlights ongoing tensions over the independence of the pardon attorney's office and the influence of political connections in the Trump administration.
