Gun Rights
10 Famous People in American History Who Had Federal Gun Rights Restored by Presidential Pardon
Presidential pardons have been used throughout American history to remove legal consequences from federal convictions. For firearm law, the effect can be especially important. The Department of Justice now states directly that a full presidential pardon removes penalties and disabilities, including a firearm disability, resulting from the pardoned federal conviction.
Quick answerYes. A full presidential pardon can remove the federal firearm disability caused by the pardoned federal conviction. The ten high-profile examples below all received full federal pardons. That does not prove that every person was free of every other possible federal or state firearm prohibition, and this article does not claim that each later purchased or possessed a firearm.
Why a pardon can restore federal gun rights
DOJ’s current Federal Firearm Rights Restoration FAQ says that if a person was convicted only of a federal offense, a full presidential pardon removes the penalties and disabilities resulting from that federal conviction, including the firearm disability. If another independent prohibition exists—such as a separate state conviction, restraining order, immigration issue, or another federal prohibitor—the pardon does not automatically erase that separate problem.
That is an important distinction for anyone researching a Full Restoration Application. A pardon is one route. The renewed 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) process is another.
10 famous people whose federal convictions were fully pardoned
1. I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby
Former vice-presidential chief of staff Scooter Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, false statements, and perjury. President Donald Trump granted him a full pardon on April 13, 2018. Under DOJ’s current explanation of presidential pardons, the federal firearm disability flowing from those pardoned convictions would no longer remain solely because of those convictions.
2. Dinesh D’Souza
Author and political commentator Dinesh D’Souza pleaded guilty to federal campaign-contribution fraud and received a full presidential pardon on May 31, 2018. His case is useful because it involved a nonviolent federal felony—the kind of record many people now compare with the renewed federal restoration process.
3. Michael Milken
Financier Michael Milken was convicted of federal financial offenses including securities, mail, and tax-related crimes. President Trump pardoned him on February 18, 2020. A full pardon removes the federal disability that otherwise would have flowed from those pardoned federal convictions, assuming no independent prohibitor remained.
4. Alice Marie Johnson
Alice Marie Johnson received a life sentence for federal drug and money-laundering offenses. Her prison sentence was first commuted in 2018; President Trump later granted her a full pardon on August 28, 2020. This example shows the legal difference between a commutation and a pardon: a commutation changes the punishment, while a full pardon can remove federal disabilities arising from the pardoned conviction.
5. Roger Stone
Roger Stone was convicted of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering. His sentence was commuted in July 2020, followed by a full and unconditional pardon on December 23, 2020. The later pardon is the event relevant to the federal conviction disability.
6. Paul Manafort
Paul Manafort was convicted in federal cases involving tax offenses, failure to report foreign accounts, bank fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction-related conduct. President Trump granted him a full pardon on December 23, 2020. As with the other examples, the pardon affects the federal disability resulting from the pardoned federal convictions; a separate independent prohibition would still need its own analysis.
7. Charles Kushner
Real-estate executive Charles Kushner was convicted of federal offenses involving fraud, false statements, tax conduct, and witness retaliation. He received a full and unconditional presidential pardon on December 23, 2020.
8. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. — Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne is perhaps the clearest firearm-specific example. He pleaded guilty to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. On January 19, 2021, President Trump granted him a full and unconditional pardon for that federal § 922(g)(1) conviction. DOJ’s own clemency warrant identifies the firearm conviction directly.
9. Robert Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden was convicted in federal firearm and tax cases in 2024. President Joe Biden granted him a full and unconditional pardon on December 1, 2024 covering federal offenses during the stated pardon period, including the charged and convicted conduct in those cases. DOJ’s Pardon Attorney records confirm the full and unconditional pardon.
10. Ross William Ulbricht
Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road marketplace, was serving a life sentence for federal drug, computer, identification-document, and money-laundering offenses. President Trump granted him a full pardon on January 21, 2025. His case is another example of presidential clemency removing the federal disabilities that flow from the pardoned federal convictions, subject to any separate legal prohibition.
What these cases do—and do not—prove
These examples do not mean that famous people receive a special statutory gun-rights rule. They show the legal effect of the Presidential Pardon Clause on federal convictions. DOJ currently says a full federal pardon removes the firearm disability that results from the federal conviction.
They also show why the legal mechanism matters. A commutation generally reduces a sentence but does not have the same disability-removing effect as a full pardon. A state pardon or restoration order has to be analyzed under federal law and the law of the convicting jurisdiction. And the new § 925(c) FFRR process is a different individualized route altogether.
Could an ordinary person use the same route?
Any person with a federal conviction can research presidential-pardon eligibility, although pardons are highly discretionary. For many people, the newly restored § 925(c) process may now be a more directly firearm-focused route. Start with an Eligibility Review, compare your conviction with the offense-specific guides, and review the state gun-rights rules before assuming a single federal action resolves everything.
Primary sources
- DOJ Federal Firearm Rights Restoration FAQ
- DOJ Pardon Attorney: Trump pardons, 2017–2021
- DOJ Pardon Attorney: Biden pardons, 2021–2025
- DOJ Pardon Attorney: Trump clemency grants, 2025–present
Frequently asked questions
DOJ currently says a full presidential pardon removes penalties and disabilities, including a firearm disability, resulting from the pardoned federal conviction. A separate independent state or federal prohibition can still remain.
No. A commutation changes or ends punishment but does not necessarily remove the underlying conviction or its collateral disabilities. A full pardon has a different legal effect.
Yes. DOJ’s clemency warrant states that Dwayne Michael Carter received a full and unconditional pardon for his federal 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) firearm-and-ammunition conviction.
No. A federal pardon addresses federal offenses. A separate state prohibition or separate state conviction requires its own analysis.
No. Section 925(c) is an individualized federal firearm-rights restoration process administered by DOJ. Presidential clemency is a separate constitutional power.
No. Your own conviction, jurisdiction, court orders, current status, and all federal and state prohibitions must be reviewed independently.
General information only. This article is not legal advice and is not permission to possess, receive, transport or purchase a firearm. Verify the current law and the legal effect of your actual court orders.
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