Fired for Principle: Pardon Attorney Draws the Line on Dangerous Gun Politics
Elizabeth Oyer, a Biden-era pardon attorney, got canned last week. It wasn’t a quiet exit, either.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pulled the trigger on her employment. That’s a bold move, especially when you’re standing up for gun safety.
Oyer made it crystal clear. She says she was fired for refusing to restore actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights. As reported by The New York Times, she wasn’t about to overlook the facts.
Her reasoning is simple and direct. ABC News noted, “Gibson’s access to guns is prohibited due to a 2011 “no contest” plea he entered to a misdemeanor charge of battering his former girlfriend.” That’s the law, plain and simple.
She didn’t stop there. “Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms,” Elizabeth Oyer told The New York Times. No sugarcoating here.
The drama escalated when senior officials apparently tried to strong-arm her. Oyer recounted receiving repeated calls from Deputy Attorney General Blanche’s office, pushing her to change her mind. They even invoked Gibson’s close personal ties with President Trump. But she stood her ground.
A top official leading the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney said she was fired from her post one day after refusing to recommend that actor Mel Gibson’s access to firearms be restored, according to a new interview and a statement provided to ABC News on Tuesday.
In an interview with the New York Times, pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer said the request to add Gibson’s name to a memo of people who should have their gun rights restored came at the last minute, after attorneys for Gibson had written directly to senior DOJ officials citing a recent special appointment he had received from President Donald Trump.
After she refused, Oyer said she received a call from a senior official in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office who repeatedly pressed her to reconsider, citing Gibson’s close personal relationship with Trump.
A DOJ official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disputed Oyer’s account, telling ABC News the spat over Gibson’s gun rights was not a factor in removal.
This isn’t just politics as usual—it’s a direct stand for principles and public safety. When tryin’ to hide behind personal connections or political loyalties, someone has to say enough is enough.
Republicans are calling it out, and for good reason. Safeguarding our communities starts with keeping dangerous individuals from easy access to firearms. If you ask us, standing up to pressure like this only proves that some in power are more interested in politics than protecting our neighborhoods.
Keep your ears open. This battle is just heating up, and it’s clear that sometimes tough decisions come with heavy consequences.
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