Department of Justice official claims to have been fired after refusing to restore Mel Gibson’s gun rights
An attorney in the Justice Department has claimed she was fired a day after refusing to restore the gun rights of Hollywood actor Mel Gibson.
Elizabeth G Oyer said that approximately two weeks ago, she recommended nine previously convicted criminals have their gun rights reinstated, but upon submission, she received a memo that Gibson should be added to the list.
Oyer was reticent to do so on account of the actor’s 2011 misdemeanour charge for domestic abuse against his then-partner. However, she was then subject to strong pressure that it would “be wise to make the recommendation” due to Gibson’s “personal relationship with President Trump.”
After again refusing to grant the request, Oyer found herself fired the next morning. “This is dangerous. This isn’t political — this is a safety issue,” she told The New York Times.
She continued: “Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms.”
Gibson has recently become a closer ally of Trump after the president appointed him, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone as special ambassadors to Hollywood. The announcement was made four days before Trump’s inauguration on January 16th.
He said on his platform Truth Social at the time: “These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!”
Gibson responded: “I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised. Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can.”
Trump’s appointment of Gibson, Voight, and Stallone comes as the Hollywood film industry has become increasingly stagnant and productions are shifting to more efficient and cost-effective bases, such as the UK as well as mainland Europe.
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