The Justice Department’s pardon attorney was fired after refusing to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights, which he lost due to a domestic violence conviction. Elizabeth G. Oyer, the former pardon attorney, expressed concern over the decision, stating that it was a safety issue. Despite being dismissed, Ms. Oyer was not given a reason for her firing. The incident occurred as part of a larger trend of the Trump administration removing or demoting senior career lawyers within the Justice Department.
Ms. Oyer’s dismissal took place shortly after she was placed on a working group tasked with restoring gun rights to individuals convicted of crimes. This initiative, supported by some on the right, aimed to determine whether certain individuals, including those with domestic violence convictions, should regain their gun rights. The office of the pardon attorney typically focuses on clemency requests for individuals who lack connections to plead their cases to the White House.
Federal law prohibits those convicted of crimes, including misdemeanors related to domestic violence, from owning a handgun. Although the Justice Department technically has the authority to restore gun ownership rights to individuals, it has rarely been done in practice due to limitations imposed by Congress. Ms. Oyer’s office compiled a list of 95 candidates deemed eligible for reconsideration, but the list was ultimately reduced to just nine individuals by advisers in the office of the deputy attorney general.
One of the individuals considered for gun rights restoration was Mel Gibson, who pleaded no contest to a domestic violence misdemeanor charge in 2011. Despite being a supporter of President Trump and having connections to high-ranking officials, Ms. Oyer was hesitant to recommend restoring his gun rights due to concerns about domestic violence offenders reoffending. She was also aware of a previous incident in 2006 where Mr. Gibson was verbally abusive and antisemitic to a police officer.
After refusing to recommend restoring Mr. Gibson’s gun rights, Ms. Oyer was pressured by a senior Justice Department official to reconsider her position. Feeling conflicted between compromising her ethics or risking her ability to participate in future conversations, Ms. Oyer ultimately decided not to change her stance. She was subsequently dismissed from her position, causing shock and concern within her office.
The working group handling the issue of gun rights restoration aimed to present a small group of individuals who would have their rights restored as a first step toward broader policy changes. Ms. Oyer was alarmed by the lack of attention to detail and the proposed automation of the process. While members of the group agreed on certain criteria for eligibility, such as a significant time passing since the conviction, domestic violence convictions proved to be a contentious issue, particularly in Mr. Gibson’s case. Efforts were led by James R. McHenry and Paul R. Perkins, but as of Monday evening, no public announcement had been made regarding the restored gun rights for the first batch of individuals with convictions.
