The Times, citing unnamed sources familiar with the justice department decision, reported that Gibson, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, was among nine other people whose right to own a gun would be restored.

Their names will soon be published in the federal register.

Federal law bars most people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a firearm.

Gibson was sentenced by a California judge to three years of probation 14 years ago on a misdemeanour charge for hitting his then girlfriend.

Gibson pleaded no contest to the charge as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time.

A representative for Gibson said he had no immediate comment.

The justice department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The White House directed a request for comment to the justice department.

The Times reported that the issue over Gibson’s gun rights caused strife within the justice department because Elizabeth Oyer, a pardon attorney for the department, had last month refused to agree to restore the actor’s right to own a gun.

She was fired the next day.

Oyer, in an interview with the Times, said she had been told by a senior justice department leader that Gibson’s right to own a weapon should be restored based on the fact that he had a personal relationship with the president.

Oyer said her refusal to agree was not a political decision, but based on her not having done a background investigation into Gibson’s case and because she considered a domestic violence conviction to be extremely worrying.

Trump, a few days before his inauguration in January, named Gibson, along with the actors Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight, as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood.