Former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department, alleging her termination last year was retaliation for refusing to recommend that actor Mel Gibson have his gun rights restored. The suit, filed on her behalf by the nonprofit Democracy Forward, claims Oyer was pressured to facilitate a political favor for Gibson, who was convicted of a domestic violence offense.
“Shortly after President Trump took office, Ms. Oyer was asked to disregard her duties and facilitate a political favor for the actor Mel Gibson, based on Mr. Gibson’s relationship with President Trump,” the complaint states. “Ms. Oyer was asked to make it seem like an independent review had concluded that Mr. Gibson, who was convicted of a domestic violence offense, should have his gun rights restored.”
Oyer, who was dismissed in March 2025 during an early wave of firings and reassignments at the DOJ, said she had serious concerns about public safety. “Ms. Oyer had serious concerns about the public safety implications of granting Mr. Gibson’s request in light of his history of domestic violence and the well-documented dangers of placing firearms in the hands of domestic abusers,” the suit reads.
Like other Trump administration firings, Oyer received a brief termination notice citing the president’s Article II authority, which establishes the presidency. The suit argues this process failed to follow civil service protections, including 30 days’ notice, an opportunity to respond in writing, and a written decision specifying reasons for removal.
Oyer framed her case as a broader test of the independence of the civil service. “This case is about much more than what happened to me. All Americans rely on nonpartisan civil servants to keep them safe and to uphold the law without fear or favor. I was fired because I refused to put politics ahead of my duty to the American people,” she said in a statement. “That is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to operate, and it is not how public servants in this country should be treated. If career officials like me can be fired for refusing to bend the rules to serve the president’s friends, then the message to every public servant is clear: loyalty to a politician matters more than loyalty to the Constitution. I cannot accept that.”
The lawsuit also contends that Oyer’s firing violated her First Amendment rights, arguing it was based on her perceived political affiliation due to her hiring under the Biden administration. After Oyer’s departure, Trump installed Ed Martin as pardon attorney. Martin, a conservative activist who represented several January 6 rioters, had previously failed to advance in the Senate as a U.S. attorney nominee amid concerns about his work for such clients.
Oyer’s legal action comes after an earlier appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) stalled. “The MSPB has proved, however, to be a dead end. Despite filing her MSPB appeal more than sixteen months ago, she has yet to receive any substantive review of her termination,” Thursday’s filing states, adding that her case was recently “sent to a further prolonged limbo.” In March 2026, the MSPB issued a decision broadly holding that it lacks jurisdiction in many cases where employees were removed under Article II authority, rather than through the Civil Service Reform Act.
The case adds to a growing list of legal challenges over Trump’s personnel actions. For instance, a court recently blocked an attempt to install a controversial U.S. attorney in Nevada, and the DOJ’s acting U.S. attorney strategy is headed toward Supreme Court review. Oyer’s suit also echoes concerns raised by former archivists who urged the court to reject Trump’s records law challenge.
Observers say the outcome could set a precedent for how much leeway the president has in firing career officials who resist political pressure. The Justice Department has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
