Paul Vaughn, a devoted Christian father of 11 arrested at gunpoint by the FBI for praying and singing hymns in front of an abortion clinic, has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Vaughn stands as one of the pro-life advocates prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act by the Biden DOJ and one of 24 pro-life advocates pardoned by President Donald Trump on Jan. 23, 2025.
The Thomas More Society announced July 28 that Vaughn and the DOJ had reached a seven-figure settlement which acknowledges that the Biden DOJ and the FBI had abused government power. Thomas More Society, which is backing many of the other pro-life advocates pardoned by Trump, says they expect more DOJ settlements to come in the months ahead.
“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,” Vaughn said.
In March 2021, Vaughn peacefully participated in a protest outside a Tennessee abortion clinic where he advocated for the lives of unborn babies. In October 2022, the DOJ indicted Vaughn for violating the FACE Act. Two days later, FBI agents barged into his Centerville, Tennessee, home in an early morning raid and arrested him in front of his children and his wife, Bethany. Vaughn said that during the pre-dawn raid, an agent “basically held at gunpoint” three of his children. Since then, his 5-year-old child has faced anxiety issues that stem from the FBI arrest, he says.
Steve Crampton, senior counsel at Thomas More Society, which represented Vaughn, stated that Vaughn’s family “did nothing wrong.”
“Paul prayed and sang,” Crampton said. “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.”
Vaughn was convicted of violating the FACE Act and a felony Conspiracy Against Rights violation. The FACE Act bars individuals from physically obstructing access to abortion or restricting the provision of abortion using threats of force or physical force. Those convicted under the FACE Act can face up to 10 years in prison.
Crampton said what was done to Paul and his family was a “profound injustice” and “that this settlement acknowledges that.”
“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,” he said. “No American should ever again have to fear an FBI raid for praying and offering hope to women in need.”
Vaughn also thanked the Trump administration for bringing justice to him and his family.
“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. “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. 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 settlement is not just about one family,” Crampton said. “It is a warning and a precedent. 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.”
Scripture to ponder: 1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Peter 3:14-17, James 1:12
