Elizabeth G. Oyer, the former pardon attorney, said that she was not told why she was dismissed, but that as events unfolded she feared they might lead to her firing.
“He then essentially explained to me that Mel Gibson has a personal relationship with President Trump and that should be sufficient basis for me to make a recommendation and that I would be wise to make the recommendation,” she said.
Patrimonialism is a form of governance in which the ruler governs on the basis of personal loyalties which are derived from patron-client relations, personal allegiances, kin ties and combinations thereof.[1] Patrimonialism is closely related to corruption, opportunism and machine politics.[2] It can contribute to underdevelopment and weak state capacity.[3]
In contrast to many other systems of governance, the ruler does not derive their legitimacy from their personal charisma or a sense of mission, but primarily through their ability to dole out rewards and punishments.[1][2] Initially coined by Max Weber, patrimonialism stands in contrast to rational-legal bureaucracies, as there is no objective of efficiency in public administration and government staff are not advanced based on merit, experience and training.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrimonialism