Liz Oyer, a former pardon attorney at the US Department of Justice, testified before the Senate judiciary committee on Wednesday, July 16th, 2026, urging senators to reject Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general. Oyer condemned Blanche, President Donald Trump’s pick, accusing him of politicizing the DOJ and pursuing personal vendettas.

Oyer revealed she was fired by Blanche after she refused to recommend restoring firearms rights to actor and Trump ally Mel Gibson, who had a previous domestic violence conviction. “I declined to rubber-stamp a political favor for a friend of the president, and it cost me my job,” Oyer told the committee during the second day of Blanche’s confirmation hearing.

Blanche denied that Oyer’s recommendation led to her termination, stating that her decisions as pardon attorney near the end of President Biden’s term were inconsistent with Trump’s authority. However, Oyer called Blanche’s claims “provably false,” saying, “His claim that it had nothing to do with the concerns I raised is contradicted by documents and evidence.”

Oyer warned senators against further degrading the justice system by confirming Blanche. She accused him of running the DOJ “as Donald Trump’s personal law firm” and using law enforcement powers to pursue “petty grudges harbored by the president,” which she said wastes resources and damages the department’s credibility.

The testimony highlights deep divisions over Blanche’s nomination and raises concerns about the politicization of the Department of Justice under the Trump administration.

Sources