Don Lemon will appear in a Minnesota courtroom Friday to be arraigned on federal charges following his arrest final month in reference to a protest at a church in St. Paul.
Federal prosecutors allege Lemon and one other unbiased journalist, Georgia Fort, participated in a “takeover-style attack” of Cities Church and intimidated congregants, after the 2 livestreamed a gaggle of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters speeding into the church on January 18, interrupting the service.
Lemon is being charged with two federal crimes: conspiring to violate somebody’s constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act, which prohibits using power or threats to deliberately intervene with somebody expressing their First Amendment proper to observe faith.
The journalist and former NCS anchor – who now hosts his present on YouTube – has vowed to struggle the charges. He has employed Joseph H. Thompson, a former Minnesota federal prosecutor, to signify him, in accordance to court data filed earlier this week.
Thompson was one in every of not less than six federal prosecutors who recently resigned from the Minnesota US Attorney’s office amid tensions with the Trump administration over the investigation into the deadly capturing of Renee Good.
Lemon was arrested in a lodge foyer in Beverly Hills on January 29 whereas he was in Los Angeles to cowl the Grammy Awards. More than two dozen brokers from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI arrested him, in accordance to a legislation enforcement supply conversant in the operation.
He was held in a single day in federal custody, and launched on his personal recognizance the next day.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news – I will not stop now,” Lemon stated on the steps of the federal courthouse in Los Angeles following his launch. “In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”
Lemon has repeatedly stated, even throughout his reside YouTube stream of the church disruption, that he was current on the demonstration as a journalist, not an activist. In footage of the episode, Lemon was heard saying, “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group … I’m a journalist.”
The Justice Department first tried to cost eight folks, together with Lemon. A Justice of the Peace choose rejected the charges towards 5 of these folks – Lemon among them – saying there was inadequate proof to cost.
The choose, nonetheless, inspired prosecutors to take the case to a grand jury and search an indictment. And Lemon on his YouTube present stated the federal government would attempt once more to cost him.