Pay-for-Play Pardons? Liz Oyer Accuses Trump and DOJ

Ex-DOJ Pardon Chief: Trump Pushed Mel Gibson Clemency

When you put Donald Trump — arguably the most brazenly corrupt president in American history — in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice, nothing good is bound to come from it. He’s already turned the DOJ into a personal retribution machine, seeking indictments against enemies such as former FBI Director James Comey and New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

But according to Liz Oyer, a former Justice Department lawyer who oversaw federal pardons, Trump’s influence extended even further — into the pardon process itself. In an interview with The Daily Beast podcast, Oyer alleged she was fired after refusing to advance pardons tied to actor Mel Gibson so he could regain access to firearms.

Oyer said she faced pressure inside the department “because Mel Gibson was a friend of the president,” describing what she called an effort to fast-track favorable treatment. “I wouldn’t sign off on it,” Oyer said, “and I was shown the door.”

Friends of Donald Get Special Treatment

Apparently, friends of Donald Trump get special treatment — no matter what danger they pose to society.