Judge rejects Justice Department’s initial attempt to bring charges against Don Lemon
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/polit...ment-minnesota
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A federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department’s initial attempt to bring charges against journalist Don Lemon for appearing alongside protesters who breached a Minnesota church over the weekend, a source told CNN.
“The Attorney General is enraged at the magistrate judge’s decision,” a person familiar with the matter said. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been on the ground in Minnesota for two days meeting with federal prosecutors from the state.
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It is highly unusual for the Justice Department to attempt to criminally charge a journalist who is actively working – though it is not without precedent. Such charges are heavily scrutinized, and, if approved by a judge, often face extended legal battles over whether the journalist is protected by the First Amendment before the case makes it to trial.
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Sounds painfully expensive to fight.