President Trump pardons 23 abortion demonstrators

[RAY BOGAN]
President Trump pardoned 23 pro-life demonstrators who were convicted of civil rights violations and other crimes during the Biden Administration.

[RAY BOGAN]
Some are still in prison, their sentences range from six months to five years.

[RAY BOGAN]
The demonstrators were found guilty of violating the FACE Act which prohibits threats and physical obstruction at reproductive clinics or places of worship. When charged as a felony, it carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

[RAY BOGAN]
To make the FACE Act violation a felony, prosecutors also charged some of the demonstrators with violating the KKK Act, a 19th century law written to protect newly enfranchised Black Americans.

[RAY BOGAN]
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., asked President Trump to pardon six individuals. That includes Paul Vaughn who said he was complimented by local police for the peaceful manner of his protest.

[RAY BOGAN]
He told Congress about the moment he was arrested 18 months later.

[PAUL VAUGHN]
“I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch staring down the barrels of both a pistol and an automatic weapon pointed at my head. I later learned at the same time three of my children, ages 12, 14 and 18, were being detained in the side yard on the edge of the woods by a fourth armed man.”

[RAY BOGAN]
The Thomas More Society, a pro-life, non-profit law firm, asked the President to pardon 21 individuals. The group said those convicted are upstanding individuals who were targeted by the Biden Administration.

[STEVE CRAMPTON]
“Only after Dobbs was decided did they begin rounding up pro-lifers, all around the country, for incidents that occurred years before Dobbs was even decided. And they’ve thrown the proverbial book at them.”

[RAY BOGAN]
The pardons come just ahead of the March for Life, an annual event that draws tens of thousands to Washington DC.

[RAY BOGAN]
In a speech in February 2024, President Trump said some pro-life activists were found guilty of “outrageous” charges and pledged to review the cases when in office.