President Donald Trump's administration on Friday fired at least two senior career officials at the U.S. 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 U.S. Constitution.
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.
Bobak Talebian, the head of the Justice Department's Office of Information Policy, which handles public records requests under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, was also fired, according to a source familiar with the matter.
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 did not immediately respond to a request for 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 left the Justice Department after facing a similar reassignment.
About eight senior career FBI officials 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.
