The Department of Justice has finally responded to a Freedom of Information Act request about how they decided to restore firearms rights to certain individuals—including Hollywood actor Mel Gibson—but the response is about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine.
Here's what happened: After the DOJ announced it had restored gun rights to ten individuals, journalist David Codrea filed a FOIA request asking the simple question every American should be able to answer: "What criteria do regular citizens need to meet to get the same treatment?"
Codrea's request was reasonable. He asked for: - Records the Attorney General reviewed for each person granted relief - Records each individual submitted to receive relief under federal law - Any other records used to determine these people were "not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety"
The DOJ had to be dragged into court before responding, and their recent "interim response" is a joke. They released five pages—all heavily redacted. The only thing left visible? The names of the individuals who got relief. The actual criteria, processes, and evidence used? Hidden behind "deliberative process privilege" and "privacy" exemptions.
This is exactly the problem with our current system. The government grants gun rights restoration to celebrities while average citizens are left guessing about what they need to prove. There's no clear, published standard—just a black box where political favorites get their rights back while the rest of us wait in the dark.
This "interim response" means more documents may be coming. But the message is clear: even when the law requires transparency, the DOJ will bury what matters most. If you're trying to restore your Second Amendment rights, don't expect the government to make it easy—or even tell you how they made their decisions for others.
The fight for clarity continues.