DOJ Officially Restores 2A Rights to Mel Gibson and Nine Others

After several weeks of anonymous leaks and official announcements that the DOJ is bringing the long-defunded process of restoring the right to keep and bear arms for prohibited persons back online, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department has given formal notice that ten individuals have regained their Second Amendment rights.

Actor Mel Gibson is one of the ten, and the only one to have any real name recognition among the public or even Second Amendment advocates. 

News of the restoration came via a notice in the Federal Register about an unpublished document schedule for official publication on Tuesday. Though the document has not yet been made official, it’s still available for review at the Federal Register. 

The Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44. Section 922(g) of the GCA prohibits certain persons from shipping or transporting “in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess[ing] in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receiv[ing] any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.” Section 925(c) of the GCA provides that a person who is prohibited under section 922(g) may make application to the Attorney General to remove the firearms disabilities “if it is established to [the Attorney General’s]. . . satisfaction that the circumstances regarding the disability, and the applicant’s record and reputation, are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not be contrary to the public interest.” Section 925(c) also provides that “[w]henever the Attorney General grants relief to any person pursuant to this section [s]he shall promptly publish in the Federal Register notice of such action, together with the reasons therefor.” 

The Attorney General has reviewed all the relevant facts for each individual listed below, including the materials that each individual submitted seeking either a pardon or relief from federal firearms disabilities, and it is established to her satisfaction that each individual will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief to each individual would not be contrary to the public interest. Accordingly, on March 31, 2025, the Attorney General granted relief from federal firearms disabilities to these individuals pursuant to section 925(c):

Judy Broach

Danny Preston Conrad

Timothy Lyn Dunham

Mel Gibson

Jessica Lynn Jacobson

Joseph Klecko

Wayne L. Mertz

Charles E. Moehring, Jr.

Patrick Lynn Morgan

Ronald Joseph Willkomm

The document provides no details about what led to the loss of gun rights for these ten individuals, though Gibson’s no contest plea to misdemeanor battery in 2011 is a well documented matter of public record. Gibson did not admit guilt, but acknowledged that the government likely had enough evidence to secure a conviction for the charge, which stemmed from a fight with his then-girlfriend. The actor was sentenced to community service and three years of probation, and has avoided any additional legal troubles in the years since.

Gun control activists like Brady’s Kris Brown have alleged that the restoration of rights process announced by Bondi amounts to an “at best… a pay-to-play system that could arm the highest bidder, or at worst, automating a process that could arm those with criminal histories and dangerous behaviors,” though there’s no indication that either is true. In fact, the DOJ document released today specifically notes that in order for an individual to have their Second Amendment rights restored, it must be “established to [the Attorney General’s]. . . satisfaction that the circumstances regarding the disability, and the applicant’s record and reputation, are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not be contrary to the public interest.” 

At a minimum, that suggests that whatever system might be in place within the DOJ itself, the Attorney General will review and approve (or deny) every recommendation for clemency before relief is granted. 

Whether Gibson and the other nine individuals listed should have their rights restored is another question. I’m of the opinion that once someone has completed the terms of their sentence, including probation, they should automatically have all of their rights restored, but that’s not the way the federal statute works. But for decades the mechanism by which prohibited persons could appeal to regain their right to keep and carry a firearm has been defunded and essentially a dead letter, and today’s announcement is welcome news for those hoping to see a viable path forward for those who have demonstrated that their previous crimes are not a reflection on their current selves. I know several individuals who will hopefully benefit in the future from this policy, and today’s announcement is another sign that the Trump administration is taking the Second Amendment (and the many infringements in place) seriously.