DOJ Restores Gun Rights to 22 Felons Including Pardoned Fake Elector

The Justice Department published a list of 22 individuals whose federal gun rights have been restored in the Federal Register last month, reviving a program dormant for more than three decades.

Most recipients had decades-old, nonviolent felony convictions — offenses such as passing counterfeit money or receiving stolen vehicles. The lone outlier was Arizona Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who was indicted in 2024 on felony charges for his alleged role as a fake elector following the 2020 presidential election. Hoffman was among those pardoned by President Trump in November. He still faces state felony charges and was never convicted.

For Treasure Coast residents, the program carries direct implications under federal firearms law. Florida does not have its own gun-rights restoration mechanism equivalent to the federal process. Floridians with qualifying felony convictions who seek to regain Second Amendment rights currently depend on either the courts or this federal avenue — one whose application process remains incomplete. The DOJ says it plans to launch an online portal, but no final rule has been established more than a year after the program restarted.

The program's revival follows the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which spurred a wave of challenges to laws barring felons from owning firearms. The DOJ argues that authority to grant relief rests with Attorney General Pam Bondi — not the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — effectively sidestepping a 1992 congressional spending rider that blocked the ATF from funding individual reviews. Six Democratic lawmakers accused Bondi of violating federal law, writing that her actions "appear to have violated the law, flouted the express intent of Congress, and undermined a prudent public safety measure." The DOJ disputes that characterization. Kris Brown, president of Brady United, said the lack of transparency raises questions about the criteria used, noting Hoffman's inclusion raises hard questions of "whether the evaluation is how much you've given to Trump, or how much you're planning to curry favor with him."

The DOJ is currently reviewing thousands of public comments on an interim final rule before establishing a formal application process.

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