AG Bondi ‘Enraged’ After Judge Declines to Charge Don Lemon Over Church Protest
A federal magistrate judge in Minnesota refused to sign a complaint charging independent journalist Don Lemon in connection with a protest inside a St. Paul church, sources told multiple outlets Thursday, a rare judicial rebuff that matters because it stalls the Justice Department’s attempt to hold Lemon criminally accountable.
The clash raises immediate tension between the Justice Department and the federal judiciary over how far prosecutors can go in pursuing cases tied to protests and journalism.
According to CBS News and People, the magistrate judge declined to approve a proposed criminal complaint against Lemon after he attended and broadcast coverage of a protest that interrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been in Minnesota coordinating federal law enforcement resources, is said to have been “enraged” by the judge’s decision.
The protest drew national attention as demonstrators entered the church to oppose federal immigration enforcement, chanting outside services and accusing the pastor of ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023 and now works independently, posted livestream video from the event and maintained he was acting as a journalist. His attorney Abbe Lowell said the judge’s decision “confirm[s] the nature of Don’s First Amendment-protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter.”
Why it matters: A magistrate judge’s rejection of a charging complaint is uncommon and could signal judicial skepticism of aggressive prosecutorial tactics in politically charged protest cases.
Meanwhile, Bondi announced the arrests of other protesters tied to the same incident, suggesting the broader legal fallout is just beginning.
What happens next: Federal prosecutors could seek an indictment through a grand jury, or return with revised evidence to a magistrate court.
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