DOJ to Pursue Charges Against Don Lemon
Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, stated on “The Megyn Kelly Show” that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is determined to continue pursuing charges against former CNN host Don Lemon, despite a judge’s recent decision not to indict him.
Lemon had been involved in a dispute with President Donald Trump’s administration, and a video from him surfaced where he was reportedly photographed following protesters who disrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul. The judge, Douglas Mikko, chose not to approve the charges against Lemon, but Dhillon clarified that this doesn’t mean Lemon is off the hook legally.
“We will do that, because that’s what justice demands here,” Dhillon emphasized. She mentioned that after seeing the video released by Lemon himself, the DOJ felt they had enough to pursue charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. They gathered evidence, including testimonies that contradicted Lemon’s narrative in the video.
She expressed some frustration with the judicial process, noting that there was a mandatory waiting period before the arrest could be pursued. “But he’s not immune from legal jeopardy,” she added. “Even with high-profile lawyers, we are committed to taking this case as far as necessary.”
The initial footage showed Lemon following protesters into a church, where he recorded the chants as a pastor requested everyone to leave. Additionally, it was reported that Judge Mikko’s wife is an assistant attorney general within the Minnesota Attorney General’s office.
After hearing that charges were not secured against him, Lemon told the audience, “This is not a victory lap for me, because it’s not over yet. They’ll try again, and they’ll try again.” He claimed to have been present at the church as part of his journalism, but Dhillon suggested he could not shield himself from being involved in “part of a criminal conspiracy.”
The DOJ is also investigating whether the demonstrators violated the FACE Act, which protects access to places of worship, and whether any laws connected to the Ku Klux Klan were infringed regarding civil rights.
