Federal authorities charged former CNN host Don Lemon with federal civil rights crimes on Friday in connection with the disruption of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The longtime journalist, along with several other defendants, is charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering by force with someoneâs First Amendment rights, which are violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) and Ku Klux Klan Acts, according to the indictment against Lemon and other defendants. Authorities arrested Lemon in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday night after he live-streamed himself inside the church alongside anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters on Jan. 18.
The indictment alleges Lemon conspired with others âto injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate multiple persons ⌠in the free exercise and enjoyment of the rights and privileges secured to themâ under U.S. law. Lemon is listed several times in the indictment as being a part of âovert actsâ during the incident.
âDefendant Lemon thanked defendant Armstrong for what she was doing and assured her that he was ânot saying ⌠whatâs going on,ââ one bullet point titled âOvert act #6â in the indictment read.
The indictment alleges that the church incident was part of a âclandestine operationâ titled âOperation Pullupâ that included demonstrators showing up â donât expect .â
Lemon told his audience during the livestream that he was headed to the operation and would not give any details away about the protestersâ plans, according to the indictment. While the defendants entered the church, the pastor and congregants allegedly feared their disruption was the prelude to a mass shooting.
Lemon and the other defendants also allegedly âoppressed, threatened, and intimidatedâ the pastor and congregants by âphysically occupyingâ the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the church, according to the indictment. They also allegedly engaged in âmenacing and threatening behaviorâ by chanting and yelling at the congregants loudly and by âphysically obstructingâ them from exiting the church.
A livestream filmed by Lemon showed him entering the building while protesters shouted, âJustice for Renee Good,â who had been fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 after she hit him with her vehicle. A group of individuals organized the protest to demonstrate against the pastor who serves as an ICE officer.
Lemon maintained that all he did was âcommit an act of journalismâ by following the protesters inside the church and angrily challenged federal officials on Jan. 22 to âkeep tryingâ to come after him. A magistrate judge previously rejected the DOJâs attempts to arrest Lemon, though officials strived to find other ways to criminally prosecute him.
Abbe Lowell, the attorney representing Lemon, called the arrest an âunprecedented attackâ on the First Amendment and an attempt by the administration to distract the public from their own problems.
âDon will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,âLowell said.
Three other individuals, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy, were also arrested in connection to the incident on Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced. Bondi warned that her agency will come after anyone who violated an Americanâs âsacred rightâ to worship in a video posted to X.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporterâs byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with US, please contact [email protected].