Don Lemon Faces DOJ Investigation

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been put “on notice” by the DOJ for his role in the disruption of a Sunday church service that was overtaken by anti-ICE protesters – an incident that many Americans saw not as journalism, but as intimidation.

As reported by Fox News:

Former CNN host Don Lemon has been put “on notice” by the Justice Department after he joined anti-ICE agitators who stormed a church in St. Paul during a service on Sunday.

Lemon, an independent journalist since being fired by CNN in 2023, has been documenting the Minnesota chaos following the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good. He entered the Cities Church along with anti-ICE agitators and began filming, telling viewers that “the freedom to protest” is what the First Amendment is all about.

But Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, disagrees with Lemon.

“A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service. You are on notice,” Dhillon wrote on X.

Dhillon also said she is in touch with Attorney General Pamela Bondi on the issue.

“We are all over it. We are investigating potential criminal violations of federal law,” Dhillon wrote.

According to statements from Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, a house of worship is “not a public forum for . . . protest.” Federal criminal and civil laws exist specifically to protect religious services from disruption. And, as Dhillon made clear, the First Amendment does not shield “pseudo journalism” when it actively interferes with people exercising their own constitutional rights.

I once heard a very successful journalist say, “The first rule of journalism is never become part of the story.” Don Lemon intentionally made himself part of the story.

You can clearly see Lemon wasn’t a reporter, just standing back and documenting events as they unfolded. Lemon openly acknowledged beforehand that he knew what was going to happen inside that church. He followed the protesters in, engaged the pastor, and later defended the disruption by arguing that the point of protest is to make people uncomfortable – even the children who were visibly distressed and being escorted out by their parents.

Although it may not seem like it in today’s media landscape, there is still a line between journalism and advocacy. And when a media figure actively embeds with a protest operation, previews its tactics, participates in the event, and then publicly celebrates its impact, that line has been crossed.

While the ACLJ exists to defend free speech as well as a free press, those protections are not limitless. The First Amendment does not grant the right to disrupt someone else’s First Amendment activity. Worship is protected. Peaceable assembly is protected. Free exercise of religion is protected. Storming a church service is not.

More troubling is the lack of response from Minnesota’s political leadership. Aside from a brief, lukewarm statement from Governor Tim Walz’s office saying he does not support interrupting a place of worship, there has been no move to investigate – just a suggestion that this was merely First Amendment activity. It is not.

You cannot shut down a church service and call it free speech. And you cannot hide behind the word “journalism” when your actions look far more like activism.

The DOJ investigation does not mean guilt has been established. It does mean that the federal government is taking this seriously. Houses of worship of any faith are not fair game, and media credentials do not place you above the law.

This was a selfish and disturbing act. But this was also about terror. And for Don Lemon, it was about getting his name back in the news cycle in a significant way since being fired by CNN. If Lemon or any of those who terrorized that church cared about easing tensions and unifying this country, they would not have done this.

Especially at a time when tensions are already high in Minnesota – protests, riots, political brinkmanship, and loss of life – the answer is not more escalation. It’s civility. It’s decency. And it’s a recommitment to the idea that constitutional rights do not exist in competition with one another.

You don’t defend free speech by trampling on religious liberty. And you don’t protect democracy by terrorizing children in church. And now you’re being held accountable for it. Speech is free, but it’s not free from consequence.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of the DOJ’s announcement of an investigation into Don Lemon’s actions. We were also joined by ACLJ Senior Counsel CeCe Heil to discuss a big ACLJ win for religious liberty in Colorado.

Watch the full broadcast below: