Don Lemon Hires Notable Defense Lawyer
In Washington, Don Lemon, the left-leaning commentator, has brought on board a former federal prosecutor from Minnesota. This lawyer, Joseph Thompson, made headlines when he resigned in protest following the fatal shooting of anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good. His expertise will be put to use as Lemon faces charges related to an attack at a Minneapolis church.
Thompson, who left the U.S. attorney’s office just last month, has a significant background, including 17 years with the Justice Department. He garnered attention for alerting authorities about significant social services fraud in Minnesota, estimating that around $9 billion might have been taken in various scams.
“What’s happening in Minnesota isn’t just a few individuals acting out,” Thompson stated back in December. “This is a large-scale fraud that’s made us question our entire state’s integrity.”
However, critics, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have dismissed Thompson’s claims as exaggerated. Walz labeled the $9 billion figure “sensational.”
The welfare fraud issue in Minnesota erupted into a national scandal over the past year, which eventually linked to President Trump’s Operation Metro Surge. This led to protests, notably the January 18 church incident that resulted in Lemon’s current legal woes.
Lemon, a staunch adversary of the former president, streamed a protest where demonstrators disrupted a service at a city church. They were specifically targeting Pastor David Easterwood, who also worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Easterwood was not at the church when the protest unfolded.
The ex-CNN anchor suggested that he was aware of the protest plans ahead of time, sharing that he joined the crowd in the parking lot before they entered the church.
Later, during a trip to California to cover the Grammy Awards, Lemon was arrested on January 30 and charged under the Freedom of Admission to Clinics Act (FACE). While typically associated with protecting access to abortion clinics, it also includes religious services.
If convicted, Lemon could face a maximum sentence of 10 years. He argued that he was merely exercising his First Amendment rights as a journalist documenting the protest.
Officials from the Trump administration countered that Lemon is misusing his journalistic status to evade accountability for disrupting worship, labeling his actions as “pseudo-journalism.”
Additionally, fellow independent journalist Georgia Fort was also arrested during these events, along with seven other demonstrators.
Thompson will be part of Lemon’s defense team, collaborating with Abby Lowell, who has represented several high-profile figures, including Hunter Biden and other prominent clients like Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
