Judge Rejects DOJ Charges Against Don Lemon

A magistrate judge recently declined the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) effort to charge Don Lemon regarding a disruption that occurred during a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. This incident took place when Lemon, accompanied by several anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters, entered Cities Church on a Sunday.

The Justice Department has already charged some of the protesters with civil rights violations, and the judge’s decision allegedly angered Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is actively prosecuting these protesters in the state.

Sources indicate that the Attorney General was “furious with the judge’s decision,” as reported by CBS News.

In earlier statements, Bondi announced that three individuals have been charged in this case: Chauntil Louisa Allen, Nekima Levy Armstrong, and William Kelly. She accused Armstrong of having a significant role in organizing what she referred to as a “coordinated attack” on the church.

A DOJ official revealed that they are exploring alternative avenues to prosecute Lemon.

The protests began after attendees discovered that the pastor was an ICE agent. Many people entered the building during the service, chanting “Justice for Renee Good!” This chant refers to Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent after an incident involving her vehicle on January 7, resulting in the agent suffering internal injuries.

During an appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon suggested that Lemon might have had prior knowledge of the protests. However, she also noted that all Lemon really did was enter the church and “perform an act of journalism.”

The DOJ has been investigating whether the actions of the protesters breached the Freedom of Admissions to Clinic Act (FACE) and the Ku Klux Klan Act, which both aim to protect places of worship and individuals’ civil rights from interference.