Ex-DoJ lawyer fired by Todd Blanche urges senators to reject nomination

A former Justice Department pardon attorney, Liz Oyer, has directly urged senators to reject the nomination of Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, citing concerns over his confirmation hearing testimony.

“

I declined to rubber-stamp a political favor for a friend of the president, and it cost me my job.

Oyer stated that Blanche fired her after she declined to recommend restoring firearms rights for actor Mel Gibson, a Trump ally with a prior 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 Senate judiciary committee on the second day of Blanche's confirmation hearing.

Blanche, however, contested Oyer's account. He asserted on Wednesday that her termination was not linked to the Gibson case. "The decisions that she had made as pardon attorney in the weeks and months leading up to the end of President Biden’s term were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority," Blanche insisted.

“

The decisions that she had made as pardon attorney in the weeks and months leading up to the end of President Biden’s term were completely inconsistent with President Trump’s authority.

Responding to Blanche's claims, Oyer called his comments "provably false" on Thursday. "His claim that it had nothing to do with the concerns I raised is contradicted by documents and evidence," she added. Oyer implored senators not to "degrade our justice system further" by promoting Blanche, arguing that to the public, it appears "Mr. Blanche is running the DoJ as Donald Trump’s personal law firm."

“

His claim that it had nothing to do with the concerns I raised is contradicted by documents and evidence.

She further accused Blanche of "using law enforcement powers to pursue petty grudges harbored by the president," warning that these "pointless vendettas are wasting our scarce resources and destroying [the] DoJ’s credibility."

“

To the American public, it looks like Mr Blanche is running the DoJ as Donald Trump’s personal law firm.