Don Lemon Seeks Dismissal of Minnesota Church Protest Charges

Lawyers for Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor and independent journalist, have asked a federal judge in St. Paul, Minnesota, to dismiss charges that he disrupted a service at Cities Church in January. The charges arose from a protest where activists chanted "ICE out!" because a church pastor also served as a senior official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Lemon's legal team argues the United States Department of Justice engaged in vindictive prosecution. They claim the case is part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump to seek retribution against journalists and political enemies. As evidence of this animus, the defense cited the president's history of insulting Lemon and a White House social media post that mocked Lemon's arrest at a hotel in Los Angeles.

Independent reporter Georgia Fort filed a similar motion alleging her charges were brought in bad faith. The broader case involves more than 30 defendants and has encountered several judicial setbacks. These include the rejection of search warrants and a demand from Judge Laura Provinzino to review grand jury transcripts.