𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗢𝗝 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗦𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 $𝟭 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡

 The Washington Post, May 1, 2025

                                                             

Liz Oyer

Liz Oyer, recently fired as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, has ignited controversy by claiming on social media that President Donald Trump’s latest pardons for white-collar criminals have cost Americans $1 billion in unpaid restitution. 

Oyer calculated this staggering figure based on the restitution amounts that those pardoned were supposed to pay, including high-profile cases like Trevor Milton, the electric truck executive convicted of defrauding investors of over $680 million, and the elimination of a $100 million penalty against the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX. 

Many of Trump’s pardon recipients were political allies or donors, and some hadn’t even been sentenced, meaning victims and taxpayers are left holding the bag.

Oyer’s public criticism underscores a dramatic break from longstanding Justice Department standards, which typically require that pardons be considered only after sentences are served and restitution is paid.

 

By bypassing this process, Trump has effectively erased massive debts owed to victims of fraud, a move Oyer calls “unprecedented” and deeply unfair to everyday Americans. She argues that these actions reflect a pattern of political favoritism, with clemency being used to reward loyalists rather than to correct injustices or show compassion.

Since her firing, Oyer has spoken out about what she describes as a dangerous erosion of the rule of law and political interference at the Justice Department. She alleges her dismissal came after refusing to support restoring gun rights to Trump ally Mel Gibson, further highlighting the administration’s willingness to prioritize political loyalty over justice and accountability.