Independent journalist Don Lemon, formerly with CNN, issued a statement on Bluesky and briefly spoke with reporters after his release Friday afternoon.
Federal agents arrested Lemon in Los Angeles late Thursday in connection with his reporting on protests at a Minnesota church. He was taken into custody while in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards, according to his lawyer, Abbe Lowell.
Why It Matters
The arrest comes as protests over immigration enforcement intensify nationwide, while federal civil rights scrutiny continues around the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis—adding to political and legal pressure over how the government is responding.
What To Know
Outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, Lemon said he would contest the charges.
“I look forward to my day in court,” The New York Times reported him saying.
Lemon also defended his work as a journalist.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news,” he said. “I will not stop now. There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”
In a longer Bluesky post, Lemon wrote: “I want to thank everyone for their support – it means the world to me.”
He added, in part: “Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for doing what I have been doing for 30 years. The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects that work for me and countless other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court.”
According to The New York Times, a federal magistrate judge in Minnesota had previously denied arrest warrants for Lemon and others. The Times reported that a federal grand jury later indicted several people, including Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort, alleging conspiracy to deprive congregants of their rights and interference with religious freedom at a house of worship.
What People Are Saying
Conservative attorney Mike Davis wrote on X Friday: “These charges against Don Lemon carry weight. His threats and force make this FACE Act violation a felony. He walked to the pulpit and stopped the service, admitting he targeting [sic] the church for being white and Christian. This is a slam dunk under the FACE Act. He should go to prison. He doubled down and signaled others to copy him. We need deterrence. We need punishment for Don Lemon and his co-conspirators. Thanks for having me, @bennyjohnson.”
CNN Communications wrote on X Friday: “The FBI’s arrest of our former CNN colleague Don Lemon raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment. The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota Federal District Court found there was “no evidence” that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work. The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ’s attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable. We will be following this case closely.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Friday: “At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. More details soon.”
What Happens Next
Lemon’s next court appearance is scheduled for February 9. His counsel said he plans to plead not guilty, NBC News reports.
