Senior officials at the Justice Department claim executive privilege should bar a lawyer dismissed from the department from testifying to Congress on Monday about a disagreement with supervisors over restoring the gun rights of Mel Gibson, the actor and prominent supporter of President Trump.
In a letter reviewed by The New York Times, a lawyer in the office of the deputy attorney general warned Elizabeth G. Oyer, the Justice Department’s former pardon attorney, that she was “not authorized to disclose” records about the firearms rights issue to lawmakers.
A lawyer for Ms. Oyer responded with his own missive, accusing the department of trying to intimidate a whistle-blower on the cusp of a congressional hearing.
The department’s argument that internal conversations are covered by executive privilege — a legal doctrine meant to keep some executive branch discussions off-limits to the legislative or judicial branches of government — could have consequences for many other former Justice Department lawyers. Already, the Justice Department has fired dozens of career prosecutors, some of whom have spoken publicly about their experiences, while others may yet still.
The new conflict began Friday night, when Ms. Oyer learned that deputy U.S. marshals would be sent to her home to deliver the Justice Department’s letter. After Ms. Oyer assured officials that she had received the letter via email, the delivery was canceled.
Her lawyer, Michael Bromwich, noted in his letter to the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, that Ms. Oyer’s teenage son was home alone at the time.
