The administration of President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday fired no fewer than two senior career officials at the US Justice Department, including the head of the office that handles presidential pardon requests.
According to a memo she shared on LinkedIn, which cited Trump’s executive authority under the US Constitution, Liz Oyer, who served as pardon attorney since 2022, a career Justice Department position, was fired with immediate effect.
It was gathered that her 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.
Bobak Talebian, the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy, which handles public records requests under the US Freedom of Information Act, was also fired.
The moves mark the latest instance of the Trump administration removing or sidelining career Justice Department officials, who typically keep their positions across presidential administrations.
A Justice Department spokesperson has not given any comment on the moves.
Trump-appointed officials previously reassigned several veteran national security and criminal prosecutors to a newly created immigration office.
The top career ethics official reportedly left the Justice Department after facing a similar reassignment.
About eight senior career officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, were also forced out ahead of the confirmation of Trump-nominated FBI Director Kash Patel by the Senate.
Justice Department leaders have generally not given reasons for the dismissals, but have broadly emphasized that career officials must be trusted to enforce Trump’s agenda.
