Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal agents arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon, independent journalist Georgia Fort, and two others early Friday in connection with a Jan. 18 protest that disrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. In a post on X, Bondi said the arrests followed what she described as a coordinated attack on the church and added that more details would be released soon.
The arrests stem from a protest in which dozens of anti–Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrators entered Cities Church during a Sunday service. The church later said congregants and pastors were intimidated and that the service was unlawfully disrupted, according to a statement published by Cities Church.
Federal prosecutors allege Lemon and Fort played roles connected to the disruption, according to reporting by PBS NewsHour. The charges involve alleged interference with the civil rights of worshipers during a religious service.
A sealed indictment obtained by CNN outlines the government’s case, alleging Lemon livestreamed events surrounding the protest on his online program, TheDonLemonShow, including interactions with protesters before they entered the church. Prosecutors allege the action was intended to disrupt services and that Lemon, Fort, and others intimidated congregants and pastors. St. Paul police previously said they were investigating the incident as disorderly conduct.
Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, strongly rejected the charges. In a written statement, Lowell said Lemon was taken into custody while covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and described his reporting in Minnesota as constitutionally protected journalism. He argued that instead of investigating federal agents involved in earlier Minnesota shootings, the Justice Department was devoting its time, attention, and resources to this case. Lowell called the prosecution an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” and said Lemon would fight the charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.
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