Trump DOJ FIRES Biden’s Pardon Attorney, Linked to Sweeping Pardons of Violent Criminals

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Today, President Trump’s Department of Justice fired the head of the pardon office, Liz Oyer.

Underneath Joe Biden’s administration, Liz Oyer advised him on granting clemency to thousands of convicts, including murders.

She posted on LinkedIn, sharing that she has been fired from the role, which she held for 3 years.

Take a look:

From The New York Times:

The Trump administration on Friday forced out a handful of senior Justice Department officials, further thinning the ranks of career officials who help guide the agency, according to several people familiar with the actions.

The ouster of lawyers managing the Justice Department’s pardon work, bankruptcy litigation and other legal issues marks the latest move by the new administration to remove or reassign senior officials with many years of experience. The official overseeing the Office of Professional Responsibility, which handles internal ethics investigations, was also removed from that role, though he was placed on administrative leave, these people said.

The removals follow a pattern that has fueled turmoil and alarm inside the Justice Department as the new administration seeks to take control of the agency and reshape it with an emphasis on loyalty to President Trump.

The Justice Department’s pardon attorney, Elizabeth Oyer, posted on LinkedIn that she had been fired from “the job I have poured my heart and soul into for the last three years.” In the post, she shared her dismissal letter, which was signed by the newly confirmed deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, a former criminal defense lawyer for Mr. Trump.

The Guardian added:

Donald Trump’s administration on Friday fired at least two senior career officials at the US justice department, including the head of the office that handles presidential pardon requests, according to a social media post and sources familiar with the matter.

Liz Oyer served as pardon attorney since 2022, a career justice department position. Oyer was fired “effective immediately,” according to a memo she shared on LinkedIn, which cited Trump’s executive authority under the US constitution.

Oyer, who was appointed by Biden in 2022, posted on LinkedIn: “I’m sad to share that I was fired today from the job I have poured my heart and soul into for the last three years. I am so proud of the team we built in the Office of the Pardon Attorney, who will carry on our important work. I’m very grateful for the many extraordinary people I’ve had the opportunity to connect with on this journey. Thank you for your partnership, your support, and your belief in second chances.”

Oyer’s former office reviews requests for clemency from people convicted of federal offenses and makes recommendations to the White House on whom the president should pardon.

Oyer’s termination comes two weeks after Trump appointed Alice Marie Johnson as “pardon czar”, a role in which she will recommend people for presidential commutations.



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