Former DOJ Pardon Attorney Sues Over Mel Gibson Case

Former pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer filed a lawsuit Thursday against the United States Department of Justice and Attorney General Todd Blanche, alleging she was unlawfully terminated in March 2025. Oyer claims her dismissal was retaliation for refusing to recommend the restoration of actor Mel Gibson's gun rights following a 2011 domestic violence conviction.

According to the complaint, Oyer was pressured to facilitate a political favor for Gibson because of the actor's relationship with President Donald Trump. She alleges that officials wanted her to make it appear as though an independent review supported the restoration of those rights. Oyer asserts that her removal violated the Civil Service Reform Act, her first amendment rights, and constitutional due process.

The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay, and a court declaration that the firing was unlawful. This legal action follows a previous statement from a Justice Department official to the New York Times claiming that the Gibson case played no role in Oyer's dismissal.