The Department of Justice has reached a seven-figure settlement with Paul Vaughn, a pro-life activist who was convicted of violating the FACE Act and faced an FBI raid at his home. Vaughn's case stemmed from a March 2021 protest at a Tennessee abortion clinic.
The 1994 FACE Act, which prohibits "threats of force, obstruction or inflict property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services," was utilized by the Biden administration's Justice Department to prosecute pro-life activists. Vaughn's attorneys, the Thomas More Society, stated that federal agents raided his home at gunpoint and arrested him in front of his family two days after he was charged.
At the time, the Biden DOJ also added a felony conspiracy charge that carried a potential sentence of up to 10.5 years in prison. Vaughn described the settlement as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a way to compensate for lost time, though he stated that money does not equate to justice.
He recounted that seven of his eleven children, aged 18 months to 18 years, were present during the arrest, with three being held at gunpoint. Vaughn’s youngest child, then five years old, has reportedly expressed ongoing anxiety due to the incident.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned Vaughn and 23 other pro-life protesters convicted under the FACE Act by the Biden administration's DOJ. This action coincided with the annual March for Life demonstration in Washington, D.C.
Around the same period, the Department of Justice issued new charging policies for the FACE Act. According to a memo from the Associate Attorney General, future prosecutions and civil actions under the law will only be permitted in extraordinary circumstances or in cases involving severe aggravating factors, such as death, serious bodily harm, or major property damage.
Steve Crampton, an attorney with the Thomas More Society, called the policy shift an extraordinary move and expressed hope that the settlement signifies a step toward restoring faith in the legal system and federal law enforcement's respect for the rule of law. He further stated that no American should fear an FBI raid for praying or offering support to women.
This resolution follows a similar settlement involving pro-life activist Mark Houck, who also received a seven-figure settlement from the Trump DOJ after filing a lawsuit over his 2022 arrest. Houck's arrest, involving a SWAT team at his home on FACE Act violation charges, drew criticism from conservatives who accused the Justice Department of targeting pro-life activists.