Pam Bondi ‘Enraged’ After Judge Rejects DOJ Attempt To Charge Don Lemon For Anti-ICE Church Protest

Don Lemon has avoided charges for covering an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church, though the DOJ may still pursue other legal avenues.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is reportedly “enraged” after a federal magistrate judge declined the Justice Department’s initial effort to charge journalist Don Lemon for his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church.

On Jan. 22, Lemon was temporarily cleared for reporting alongside protesters who breached a Minnesota church over the weekend, CNN reported. But Bondi, who has been in Minnesota meeting with federal prosecutors for the past two days, is reportedly outraged by the ruling, and the DOJ may seek alternative ways to bring charges against the former CNN host.

“The Attorney General is enraged at the magistrate judge’s decision,” a source familiar with the matter said.

Lemon, a former CNN host now working independently, joined dozens of protesters who stormed Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, disrupting a service and sparking tense confrontations over Pastor David Easterwood’s dual role as church leader and acting ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations director in St. Paul.

Lemon has maintained that he attended the demonstration in a journalistic capacity and not as a protester, a distinction his attorney reiterated in response to the judge’s ruling.

“The magistrate’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s First Amendment-protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter,” Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said. “It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist.”

Despite a Minnesota federal magistrate judge’s refusal to sign off on charges related to the protest, insiders caution that the case remains open and that the Justice Department may seek other ways to charge Lemon. Should the DOJ press ahead, Lemon is reportedly ready to fight back.

“Should the Department of Justice continue with a stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job, Don will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” Lowell said.

While Lemon avoided charges, Bondi announced arrests related to the church protest, including St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen and civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, whom she accused of helping organize the protest. A third individual, William Kelly, was later arrested.