Rev. Franklin Graham highlighted a recent legal settlement involving pro-life activist Mark Houck, pointing to the outcome as significant following a 2022 arrest that involved federal agents and led to years of legal proceedings.
Graham wrote on Thursday:
Four years after pro-life supporter Mark Houck’s home was raided by 20 armed federal agents under the Biden Administration and he was arrested at gunpoint, he and his wife were awarded a settlement of over $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. All of this was because Mark had defended his 12-year-old son during an interaction with an aggressive Planned Parenthood volunteer while they were there to pray peacefully at the abortion facility. I’m thankful for this outcome and sorry for what this family had to go through. This is a win for all Americans who value free speech and life.
The comments followed reporting from EWTN News on April 14, which detailed that Houck and his wife received a settlement exceeding $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. The case stems from a September 23, 2022, early-morning raid on the Houck family’s rural Pennsylvania home, where 20 armed federal agents arrested Houck in front of his family and later interrogated him for several hours.
According to his legal team, Houck had agreed to surrender voluntarily prior to the arrest. During the incident, his wife and attorneys said agents pointed firearms at Houck’s head as his children watched, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation later stated that no SWAT team was used and that agents identified themselves and took Houck into custody without incident pursuant to an indictment. The bureau did not deny the number of agents present.
Houck was charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a federal law governing access to abortion facilities and places of worship. The charges related to a 2021 incident outside a Planned Parenthood facility, where Houck was accused of shoving a volunteer. His family and supporters have said the altercation occurred as he defended his 12-year-old son during a confrontation. If convicted, Houck faced up to 11 years in prison and fines of up to $350,000.
He was acquitted of the charges in January 2023. Later that year, in November, Houck and his wife filed a lawsuit against the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the EWTN report, the family alleged they experienced post-traumatic stress, reputational harm, economic loss, and emotional distress, including anxiety among their children and reported miscarriages suffered by his wife during the legal process. The Houcks have seven children.
At the time of the arrest, 22 lawmakers led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to explain the circumstances surrounding the operation, questioning whether the use of multiple armed agents was warranted.
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