Overview

• Democratic lawmakers held an unofficial 'shadow hearing' to examine alleged abuses and politicization within the Trump-led Justice Department.
• Liz Oyer, a fired DOJ pardon attorney, testified that she was dismissed after refusing to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson's gun rights due to his domestic violence conviction.
• Oyer revealed that armed U.S. Marshals were sent to her home to deliver a letter warning her against testifying, which she described as an intimidation tactic.
• The Justice Department invoked executive privilege to limit testimony about internal deliberations, a move criticized as an attempt to suppress whistleblowers.
• Witnesses and lawmakers expressed concerns over the erosion of judicial independence, with claims that political loyalty was prioritized over ethics and the rule of law.