The latest DOJ settlement with a trumper
Paul Vaughn got millions for--what???
As you may have heard, Anti-abortion activist Paul Vaughn was convicted under the FACE Act1 for blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic. Anti-abortion activist agrees to 7-figure settlement with Trump Justice Department This was in 2021. His supporters say it was because he was “praying and singing” but in fact it was part of a city-wide campaign to blockade a bunch of clinics. Nine other people were arrested, so a conspiracy charge was also involved; he was the organizer. He was convicted in January of 2024 along with 5 others. If he raised the First Amendment at trial, the jury did not buy it. Trump pardoned him, but didn’t file a certificate of innocence (which is required for some types of claims by convicted though pardoned criminals)
Now he has “settled” with DOJ for a “7 figure sum.”
Someone needs to look into the Vaughn settlement very carefully. It is WAY more outrageous than the news suggests. I’ve done some digging
While the DOJ has lots of leeway for settling a claim, there has to BE a claim to settle.
One way is the Unjust Conviction Act. But for that the claimant has to have served time in Federal Prison.
—-according to Google, Vaughn was sentenced to supervised release and home detention, meaning he was never incarcerated in a federal prison.
the second is the Federal Torts Claims Act. This requires, in relevant part, that a person suffered personal injury to person or property. Vaughn wasn’t personally injured in any physical sense.
—-Vaughn didn’t SUE under the FTCA; thus, no judgment against the government. Instead he filed an administrative claim (which under 28 CFR Part 14 requires a FTCA claim). DOJ has the authority to settle those without a suit, though they rarely do; usually they send the claimant on to the courts.
Get this: Vaughn got millions2 for this claim, again per Google for:
“psychological harm, emotional distress, and assault/abuse of process) caused by federal law enforcement during the early-morning FBI raid on his home.”
The claim was from him, his wife, and their eleven children. Remember, he never served jail time. Since abuse of process would have been a defense at his trial, that leaves
MILLIONS BECAUSE HE FELT BAD ABOUT BEING ARRESTED
Any lawyer can tell you how HARD it is to make a claim against someone for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Success in such claims is rare.
Payouts under the Judgement Fund are supposed to be carefully vetted not just by DOJ but by the Secretary of the Treasury. I can see the careful vetting: “Mr President, shall I pay? ( I ask with tears in my eyes)” “Of course”
Does anyone else wonder how many of those millions will make its way into a Trump SuperPAC? Or something trump is selling?
And why do I wonder whether that poor citizen arrested in his PJs in St Paul isn’t going to get a dime out of the government, despite the lack of warrant.
This is the same act that in its “house of worship” portion the DOJ is trying to use against those, including Don Lemon, who protested in a church in St. Paul over immigration issues.
the actual amount isn’t revealed. Could be anywhere from $1,000,000 to $9,999,999
AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
FUCKING NAZIS!