Former DOJ Lawyer Files Lawsuit After Dismissal Related to Mel Gibson's Gun Rights

<figure><img alt="Mel Gibson" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/N5FKWV27RRDGBGMYGO3N3YXQNQ.jpg?auth=2061cc8462317bb30f83f147b09e2da8dbf14cd03748352606a7ec8e7584dc7d&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1020&amp;height=574" /><figcaption>Amanda Edwards / Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Elizabeth Oyer, a former official at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), has filed a lawsuit against the government alleging wrongful termination after she was dismissed for refusing to restore gun rights to actor Mel Gibson. Oyer claims her firing was politically motivated and violated her rights.</p><p>According to the lawsuit, Oyer had been working as a pardon attorney for approximately three years when she was tasked in early 2025 with identifying individuals convicted of crimes who might be eligible to have their gun rights restored. She created a list of about 95 individuals convicted of nonviolent offenses who had been thoroughly vetted by the DOJ.</p><p>This list was submitted to Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office, which reduced the number of candidates to nine and requested Oyer to draft a memo recommending the restoration of their gun rights.</p><p>Oyer was later instructed to include Gibson, who had been convicted of domestic abuse in 2011. She declined, citing the high recidivism rates among domestic abusers and the lack of investigation into Gibson's case compared to others on her list.</p><p>A senior official from Blanche’s staff reportedly pressured Oyer to recommend Gibson's gun rights restoration, suggesting that it would be wise to do so. Oyer's complaint states that complying would misrepresent the review process as independent when it was, in fact, a political favor.</p><p>The following day, Oyer submitted a memo explaining her refusal to recommend Gibson's gun rights restoration due to insufficient information about his case. Shortly after, she was dismissed from her position without written notice or an opportunity to respond, as required by law.</p><p>Oyer's lawsuit argues that her termination violated her due process and First Amendment rights, asserting that the administration perceived her as not politically aligned with the president. The DOJ has not commented on the lawsuit.</p><p>After Oyer's dismissal, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed in April 2025 to restore Gibson's gun rights. Gibson, who has faced various controversies, was also named one of Trump’s “Special Ambassadors to Hollywood” in January 2025.</p><p>In a statement from her legal team, Oyer emphasized that her firing was a matter of public safety and constitutional rights. She stated, “This case is about much more than what happened to me. My firing violated my constitutional and statutory rights, and it also jeopardized public safety.”</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-doj-lawyer-elizabeth-oyer-sues-after-being-fired-over-mel-gibsons-gun-rights/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>