By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
A devout Christian father of 11 has settled with the U.S. Department of Justice after federal agents arrested him in a predawn raid for pro-life activism outside an abortion clinic.
The Thomas More Society announced Tuesday that pro-life activist Paul Vaughn reached a settlement with the DOJ as compensation for his arrest during a 2022 raid. Vaughn had been singing and praying outside an abortion clinic in Tennessee. The settlement comes more than a year after Trump pardoned Vaughn on charges that he violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
“This family did nothing wrong. Paul prayed and sang. He bore witness to his faith and for that, the full weight of the federal government was brought crashing down on his front door before the sun rose,” said Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton in reaction to the settlement. “What was done to Paul and his family was a profound injustice, and we are grateful that this settlement acknowledges that.”
Vaughn said he’s grateful the settlement “brings an end to this portion of the story,” which he called “a traumatic ordeal that never should have happened.”
“I am grateful to the members of this Department of Justice who were willing to look honestly at what the prior administration did to our family and so many others and attempt to make it right,” he added. “I am grateful to President Trump for the pardon that restored my good name, Thomas More Society for their tireless defense, and the countless people who stood with us in prayer. This chapter is finally closed, and our family looks forward with gratitude and hope, as we continue to serve God, advocating for the most vulnerable among us without fear.”
Crampton commended the Trump administration for “having the courage to look at what its predecessor did, call it … 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,” the attorney said. “The weaponization of federal law enforcement against pro-lifers, against people of faith, against those who dare to stand for the unborn — that era is over.”
The ordeal began with Vaughn’s October 2022 indictment under the Biden administration’s DOJ for allegedly violating the FACE Act by blocking the entrance to Carafem Health Center in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on March 15, 2021. The FACE Act imposes federal charges on anyone who “intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with” someone seeking or providing “reproductive health services.”
Shortly after the indictment, the FBI arrested Vaughn in an early-morning raid at his Tennessee home. Vaughn said his children have had nightmares because of the experience, and he insisted the raid was unnecessary since he would have been willing to “come down at any time” to speak with federal officials about the charges.
Vaughn ultimately avoided prison time but was sentenced to three years of supervised release in 2024. After the sentencing, he vowed to appeal the verdict, calling it part of a “spiritual battle.”
“We rejoice in God’s plans,” Vaughn said at the time. “Because this is at the heart a spiritual battle, we are thankful to have a strong advocate in the Thomas More Society. Not only are they experts at law, but they deeply understand the spiritual battle raging across our land.”
Nearly two dozen pro-life activists charged with FACE Act violations under the Biden administration received a pardon from Trump during his second term’s first week. Nearly two dozen other pro-life protesters were covered by the same pardon. Trump said at the time, “They should not have been prosecuted,” calling it “a great honor to sign this.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
