The Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought new charges against approximately 30 individuals linked to the January attack on a Minnesota church, with 25 of them already in custody.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the developments. She noted that the Justice Department has “unsealed an indictment charging 30 additional participants” involved in the assault on Cities Church in St. Paul. Bondi emphasized that those who “attack houses of worship” should expect the DOJ to pursue them legally.
In her post, Bondi mentioned, “Today @thejusticedept released an indictment charging 30 more people who participated in the attack on the Minnesota Cities Church. At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 people, and more will be arrested throughout the day.”
She reinforced a strong message: “You cannot attack a house of worship. If you do, you cannot hide from us. We will find you, arrest you and prosecute you.”
This announcement followed a live YouTube video by former CNN host Don Lemon, who recorded anti-ICE protesters as they confronted the church after discovering that one of the pastors had ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Lemon clarified in his video that he was acting as a journalist, “taking pictures,” and was “not part of the group.”
Breitbart News reported that the Justice Department later indicated it is examining “possible violations of the Freedom of Admission to Clinic Act (FACE) and the ‘KKK Act.'” The FACE Act, enacted in 1994, forbids force or intimidation that obstructs individuals seeking reproductive health services or exercising their rights in religious settings.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon discussed with Benny Shaw how the Biden administration is applying the Klan Act’s conspiracy charges alongside the FACE Act to seek longer sentences for protests outside abortion clinics. She mentioned that the DOJ has various tools at their disposal, questioning who funded the protests and what crimes might have been committed.
As for the nine original defendants, all have pleaded not guilty, including Lemon, who faced federal civil rights charges following his January arrest.
The indictment reportedly accuses all 39 individuals of violating two civil rights laws, but it doesn’t introduce any “additional criminal charges.”
