Pro-lifer convicted by Biden admin under FACE Act reaches settlement with Trump DOJ

( Post Millennial )

A settlement has been reached between the Department of Justice and a Christian father of 11 who was convicted under the Biden administration for protesting at a Tennessee abortion clinic. 

Paul Vaughn was facing up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of violating the FACE Act, which prohibits “threats of force, obstruction or inflict property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.” Vaughn had protested outside the Tennessee clinic in 2021.

Vaughn’s attorneys with the Thomas More Society said that two days after he was charged, federal agents raided his home at gunpoint, arresting him in front of his family. In addition to the FACE Act violation, the Biden administration also added a felony conspiracy charge that carried up to 10.5 years in prison. 

Speaking with Fox News, Vaughn revealed that he had recently reached a seven-figure settlement with the Justice Department in response to the legal action he has pursued against the department. 

He said the settlement brought closure to his family after years of living through trauma stemming from the “egregious deeds of the Biden DOJ." He said, “Obviously, money doesn't equate justice, and there's not a true sense of justice in the settlement, but it is an acknowledgment of wrong, and it is something to help make up for the time lost.”

At the time of his arrest, Vaughn said seven of his 11 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were home, and that three of his children were “basically held at gunpoint” by an agent. 

He said that his five-year-old continues to express anxiety over the incident. “God's been gracious to us and has helped us through this process. But there's still a lot of unknowns of how does this impact a child's life, going into their adult years.”

Vaughn was one of 24 pro-life protesters who were pardoned under Trump after being convicted under the FACE Act by the Biden Department of Justice. The DOJ also issued a memo outlining new charging policies for the FACE Act.

Thomas More Society attorney Steve Crampton told Fox News of the policy shift, “We've never seen anything like that.” He added that he hopes the settlement "is a step toward restoring some faith in the system, faith in the rule of law actually being respected by federal law enforcement agencies."

"What was done to Paul and his family was a profound injustice, and we are grateful that this settlement acknowledges that," Crampton said. "We also commend the Trump Department of Justice for having the courage to look at what its predecessor did, call it what it was — an abuse of power — and change course. No American should ever again have to fear an FBI raid for praying and offering hope to women in need."