Don Lemon and Georgia Fort Face Federal Charges After Church Protest

Federal prosecutors charged Don Lemon and Georgia Fort with conspiracy and civil rights violations after they covered a January 18 protest at a Minnesota church. Attorney-General Pam Bondi defended the use of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act to target individuals who disrupted the worship service led by an immigration official. The arrests occurred during a period of national unrest following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal border agents in Minneapolis.A judge released Don Lemon from custody without requiring a $100,000 bond while allowing the former news anchor to travel to France later this year. Legal experts and media organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists warned that prosecuting reporters for livestreaming demonstrations poses a significant threat to the First Amendment. The Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains that the defendants knowingly joined a mob that intimidated congregants and restricted their constitutional rights.Protests against federal immigration operations spread across the USA as local leaders like Governor Tim Walz demanded more significant policy changes. While border czar Tom Homan considered a reduction of agents in Minnesota, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a law in New York to prevent local police from collaborating with federal authorities. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell asserted that the work performed by Don Lemon was constitutionally protected and consistent with his long career in journalism.