Mel Gibson to Have His Gun Rights Restored by Justice Department

The Justice Department has approved Mel Gibson‘s rights to own guns again after a 2011 domestic violence conviction.

Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the restoration of the actor’s gun rights, along with nine other people, the New York Times reported.

Gibson, who in January was named a “special ambassador” to Hollywood by President Trump along with Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, would be permitted to own firearms again depending on state laws. Gibson is a resident of Nevada, which prohibits felons owning guns, but Gibson’s conviction was a misdemeanor.

The debate over Gibson’s gun rights caused considerable upheaval in the Justice Department, and the department’s pardon attorney Elizabeth G. Oyer was fired by the Trump administration in March after expressing concern over letting the “Passion of the Christ” director be able to possess firearms.

“Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms,” she said at the time.

A senior Justice Department official denied that her firing was related to the debate over Gibson’s gun rights, the NYTimes reported.

New regulations were recently published by the Justice Department that restore gun rights to certain people with criminal convictions as long as they have “earned the chance” to own guns again.

Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of battering a former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. He was sentenced to 36 months of probation as well as community service and counseling.

Variety has reached out to Gibson’s representatives for comment.