Mel Gibson, photographed at a special broadcast of his “Monster Summer” film last year, photo: Chris Pizzello / AP / Profimedia Images
The US Justice Department will again allow actor Mel Gibson to hold weapons, despite his 2011 sentence for domestic violence, the New York Times on Thursday, quoted by Reuters.
According to NYT, which quotes familiar anonymous sources with the decision of the Department of Justice, Gibson, a firm supporter of President Donald Trump, is among nine other people who will be restored the right to hold a weapon. Their names will be published soon in the related federal register.
Although the right to the portrma is guaranteed by the US Constitution, it is not an absolute one and the American federal law prohibits most people convicted for domestic abuse to hold a firearm.
Gibson was sentenced by a California judge to three years of probation 14 years ago, for a minor crime related to the aggression of his former loved one. Gibson pleaded “Nolo Content” (not to accusation) as part of an agreement with the prosecutors who avoided prison.
Mel Gibson, Trump's “special ambassador” in Hollywood
A representative of Gibson said that the actor has no comment for the moment. The Department of Justice did not respond immediately to a comment request.
NYT reports that Gibson's right -hand right issue has caused tensions in the justice department because Elizabeth Oyer, a lawyer in the department, refused last month to approve the restoration of this right for the actor. It was fired the next day.
In an interview with Times, Oyer said that a high-ranking official in the justice department told him that Gibson's right to hold a weapon should be restored, given the actor's personal relationship with the president.
Oyer stressed that her refusal was not a political decision, but based on the fact that she had not conducted a background investigation in the case of Gibson and considered that a conviction for domestic violence is extremely worrying.
A few days before his January investment for the second term of president, Trump called Gibson, along with actors Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight, as his “special ambassadors” in Hollywood.
