Paul Vaughn, a Christian anti-abortion activist and father of 11, has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice several years after federal agents arrested him during a predawn raid at his Tennessee home.
Vaughn was represented by the Thomas More Society, a conservative public-interest law firm that said the case began after he participated in a protest outside an abortion facility in Tennessee in 2021. According to the organization, Vaughn prayed, sang hymns, and joined others in demonstrating outside the clinic.
Federal authorities later charged Vaughn under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act. The law makes it a federal crime to use force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with people seeking or providing reproductive health services. Vaughn was ultimately convicted during the Biden administration.
His case gained national attention in part because of the way he was arrested. In October 2022, FBI agents arrived at Vaughn’s home early in the morning and took him into custody while members of his family were present.
After returning to the White House for a second term, President Donald Trump pardoned Vaughn and 23 other anti-abortion activists who had been prosecuted under federal law. The pardon came only days after Trump took office.
The Thomas More Society said the new settlement with the Justice Department brings a measure of closure for Vaughn and his family.
“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 Steve Crampton, senior counsel for the Thomas More Society.
Crampton described what happened to Vaughn as a “profound injustice” and said the organization was grateful that the settlement recognized the seriousness of the government’s actions.
He also praised the current Justice Department for reviewing how the case had been handled under the previous administration.
“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,” Crampton said.
Vaughn said the settlement gives his family a sense of closure after what he described as a traumatic experience.
“My family has been through a traumatic ordeal that never should have happened. But today brings an end to this portion of the story,” Vaughn said in a statement.
He thanked members of the Justice Department for reconsidering the government’s treatment of his family, while also expressing gratitude to Trump for issuing the pardon and to the Thomas More Society for defending him.
Vaughn also thanked those who supported his family throughout the case.
“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,” he said.