Mel Gibson's gun rights restored by Justice Department

Attorney General Pam Bondi has reportedly reinstated gun rights for actor Mel Gibson, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The Oscar winner is among nine others who had their gun rights restored by the Justice Department, according to the Times.

Gibson, who was recently appointed as President Trump's "special envoy" to Hollywood, lost his privilege to carry firearms after being convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in 2011. He pleaded no contest to spousal battery against his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, and was sentenced to three years of probation, domestic violence counseling, and two days of community service. The actor completed his sentence within a year, Fox 29 reported.

His misdemeanor conviction was vacated by a Los Angeles court in 2014. However, federal law prohibits individuals who have restraining orders resulting from domestic violence cases from possessing firearms. Even with the federal government restoring Gibson's rights, it's possible that state regulations could prevent him from gun possession.

According to the Times, President Trump wants to relax federal gun laws. The Justice Department recently released new guidelines to restore the ability to bear arms to some criminally convicted individuals.

A former pardon attorney for the Department of Justice, Elizabeth G Oyer, told the NYT that she was terminated by the DOJ after she refused to recommend Gibson's gun rights be restored. She claimed a department official tried to convince her to restore the actor's rights based on his "personal relationship with President Trump." Oyer said she had rejected the request and asked to leave the decision to Attorney General Pam Bondi. She was then terminated from the Justice Department.