Mel Gibson’s Gun Rights Restored Following Justice Department Attorney’s Firing

The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly reversed its decision not to reinstate Mel Gibson‘s gun rights following a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor.

The 2x Oscar winner is among 10 people whose right to own a gun will be restored with their names soon to be published in the Federal Register, according to The New York Times, despite federal law barring most domestic violence convicts from owning a firearm.

Gibson’s victory comes after Elizabeth G. Oyer, a high-ranking Justice Department pardon attorney, said she was fired just a day after she noted her lack of a recommendation for the actor’s restoration of his gun rights. Oyer alleged she was explicitly told the reinstatement should come due to Gibson’s status as a newly appointed special ambassador to Hollywood, alongside colleagues Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone.

“This is dangerous. This isn’t political — this is a safety issue,” Oyer told The Times in an interview.

A Justice Department official said the disagreement over Gibson played no role in the dismissal, per the Gray Lady.

Gibson pleaded no contest to his 2011 domestic violence charge as part of a deal to avoid jail time, receiving three years of informal probation, community service, a year of domestic violence counseling and $570 in fines. Later, he described the events as “terribly humiliating and painful for my family,” adding that he has “never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality.”