Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was taken into federal custody on Thursday night in Los Angeles in connection with his presence at a recent protest inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, confirmed to CNN the arrest in a statement early Friday, noting that Lemon was detained while in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards. The charges stem from an incident earlier this month where Lemon recorded anti-ICE demonstrators disrupting a service at Cities Church.
In his statement, Lowell strongly denied any wrongdoing on Lemon’s part, characterizing the arrest as an infringement on press freedom.
READ: Minnesota Church Storming Fallout: DOJ Eyes Charges As CNN Legal Analyst Cites KKK Act
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles,” Lowell stated. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”
Lowell further criticized the Department of Justice’s prioritization of the case. “Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest,” Lowell said, adding that Lemon intends to “fight these charges vigorously.”
Lemon has previously defended his actions during the incident. In a video posted to YouTube, he can be heard saying, “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.”
DOJ Alleges Conspiracy and Rights Violations
The Department of Justice has taken the position that Lemon’s involvement went beyond observation. Earlier this month, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon indicated that Lemon could face charges under federal civil rights statutes, specifically the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act—which protects houses of worship from obstruction—and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which prohibits conspiring to deprive individuals of their civil rights. RELATED: Journalism Or Trespass? Fox News Analyst Torches Don Lemon Over Church ‘Invasion’
In a Monday interview with podcaster Benny Johnson, Dhillon argued that Lemon’s apparent foreknowledge of the protest suggested he was an active participant rather than a neutral reporter.
“Don Lemon himself said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility, he went into the facility, and then he began, quote-unquote, ‘committing journalism,’ and as if that’s sort of a shield from being … an embedded part of a criminal conspiracy,” Dhillon said.
DOJ officials have asserted that Lemon did not have the right to be on the church’s private property and that the interruption impeded the congregants’ constitutional right to practice their religion.
READ: Journalism Or Trespass? Fox News Analyst Torches Don Lemon Over Church ‘Invasion’
Prosecutors have pointed to Lemon’s own livestream from the day of the protest as evidence of coordination. In the footage, Lemon is seen waiting in a vehicle with the protest team, discussing the logistics of the entry.
“If they see me, they’re going to know,” Lemon said in the video, adding, “I’m just trying to figure out … if it’s best for me to go inside so I can tell what happened.” He also noted to his audience that the group was conducting a “surprise operation.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also addressed the incident recently. While speaking on Fox News during a visit to Minneapolis, Bondi described the scene at the church as “horrific,” though she did not mention Lemon by name at the time.
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