Magistrate judge rejects charges against Don Lemon in connection with anti-ICE church protest
A federal magistrate judge on Thursday rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to bring charges against former CNN anchor Don Lemon in connection with Sunday’s anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church, Fox News Digital has learned.
Lemon livestreamed left-wing agitators who stormed St. Paul's Cities Church under the suspicion that its pastor had collaborated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Lemon told viewers that "the freedom to protest" is what the First Amendment is all about.
Lemon was expected to face charges after Attorney General Pamela Bondi warned that "no one is above the law" on the heels of the church incident. The Justice Department could "find other avenues to charge Lemon," CBS News reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
"The magistrate’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s First Amendment protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter. It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist. Should the Department of Justice continue with a stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job, Don will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court," Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Lemon who also represented Hunter Biden, told Fox News Digital.
Far-left agitator Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was one of the organizers of the church protest, was arrested on Thursday. She appeared in Lemon's footage and was interviewed by him beforehand.
"Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," Bondi wrote on X.
Lemon has insisted he has "no affiliation to that organization" and "didn't even know they were going to this church until we followed them there," although video he posted on YouTube suggested he was at least somewhat aware of the agitators’ plan.
"We don’t know what’s happening. We kind of do, but we don’t know how it’s going to play out … we’ll get to see what happens after this, sort of surprise," Lemon told viewers from a car while driving to the church.
"We just found out about this this morning," Lemon continued. "I’m just trying to figure out if it's best for me to go inside so I can tell what happened."
Once Lemon arrived at the church, he told his crew he planned to "go inside and give the rundown on what’s going on," but instructed his driver and cameraman not to go on the church’s property.
"I’m just gonna walk in, see what’s happening," Lemon said as he entered the church.
Lemon appeared to enter before the agitators, as the pastor could be heard on Lemon’s audio feed before the service was interrupted by shouting. Lemon then told viewers that protesters had entered the church as complete chaos was heard. Lemon’s cameraman then entered the building to livestream the ordeal.
"I’m a journalist," Lemon told a churchgoer amid the chaos.
Lemon went on to document the hostile invasion of the church, which he called a "clandestine mission."
"You have to be willing to go into places and disrupt and make people uncomfortable. That’s what this country is about," Lemon said.
Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, previously suggested Lemon could face significant consequences for partaking in the storming of the church.
Dhillon said Lemon had a presumption of innocence, but his role as a journalist wasn't necessarily a "shield" for him being a potential party to a crime.
DON LEMON RESPONDS TO TRUMP DOJ'S THREAT, STANDS BY COVERAGE OF ANTI-ICE PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH
"Don Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility. He went into the facility, and then he began ‘committing journalism,’ as if that’s sort of a shield from being a part, an embedded part of a criminal conspiracy," Dhillon said in an interview with Benny Johnson on Monday.
Lemon previously told Fox News Digital that he stands by his reporting and has faced online threats as a result.
"It’s notable that I’ve been cast as the face of a protest I was covering as a journalist — especially since I wasn’t the only reporter there. That framing is telling. What’s even more telling is the barrage of violent threats, along with homophobic and racist slurs, directed at me online by MAGA supporters and amplified by parts of the right-wing press," Lemon said in a statement.
"If this much time and energy is going to be spent manufacturing outrage, it would be far better used investigating the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good— the very issue that brought people into the streets in the first place," Lemon continued. "I stand by my reporting."
This is a developing story, more to come…