Don Lemon Tirades as DOJ Builds Case

Former CNN host Don Lemon got what he wanted – attention. Last night, Lemon appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and used the spotlight to go off on a tirade defending his indefensible actions.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ continue to build their case against him for violating the FACE Act while storming a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

As reported by Fox News:

Former CNN host Don Lemon shed light on how his arrest over the Minnesota church storming transpired during an interview Monday with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.

Lemon began by revealing that his attorney, Abbe Lowell, had reached out to the Justice Department prior to the arrest to discuss his client turning himself in as top DOJ officials spoke openly about seeking charges against him, but that Lowell “never heard back.”

He then offered a timeline of what had transpired late Thursday night leading up to his arrest, how he had attended pre-Grammy events and that it wasn’t until he got back to his hotel in Los Angeles that he was accosted by federal agents.

“Ipress the elevator button and then, all of a sudden, I feel myself being jostled and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” Lemon said. “And I said, ‘What are you doing here?’ They said, ‘We came to arrest you.’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ And then they, like, finally identify themselves.”

The ex-CNN star then said he then demanded to see a warrant, which the agents who grabbed him didn't have, so he said they had to “wait” for an FBI agent from outside to bring a copy of the warrant on a cellphone.

Lemon was arrested and charged Friday with conspiracy to deprive rights and violation of the FACE Act for his involvement in the anti-ICE protest that disrupted services at a Minnesota church.

We believe this is exactly what Don Lemon wanted, and he got it. A high-profile arrest, with plenty of media coverage. Now, instead of letting the legal process play out, Lemon has decided to do what he knows best: Go on television and make himself the story. And what better way to kick off his Martyrdom Tour than an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show?

On Jimmy Kimmel, Lemon insisted that he was only there “to document and record” as a journalist. But the indictment claims Lemon took direction from protest organizers, entered the church fully aware of what was about to go down, and willfully chose to actively participate in this invasion. The indictment even claims that Lemon helped block the pastor from leaving. In fact, it appears Lemon happily added to the chaos by refusing to leave when asked and aggressively harassing the pastor and his congregants.

Journalist or not, the First Amendment doesn’t recognize any special class of credentialed elites as exempt from the law – especially when we live in a world where everyone is carrying a camera and a production studio in their pocket. Anybody can document events. Which is exactly whyjournalism must be defined by conduct, not credentials. And that conduct has never included the right to trespass, intimidate, or disrupt a religious service.

If a reporter is standing on a sidewalk filming a protest, that’s protected. If that reporter aids and coordinates with protesters, goes onto private property, ignores requests to leave, and then actively interferes with people worshiping, the conduct has moved into participation.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also appeared on television, and she called out Lemon’s claims that he was just there to observe and report, telling Sean Hannity:

Don Lemon and eight others were charged in a single indictment because you cannot attack – and that’s what it was – it was an attack-style on a house of worship.

We don’t live in a third-world country. We live in the United States of America. You have a right to worship safely and freely in a house of worship. . . . These people committed a crime under the FACE Act, and they will be held accountable. Nine of them have been charged. You will not do this in our country.

Bondi also stated that Lemon had indeed blocked the exits, keeping congregants from leaving. Again, that’s not reporting – it’s actively taking part.

And yet, with his burgeoning media tour in the wake of the arrest, Lemon is positioning himself to be the next symbol of free speech. One problem, Don: The case isn’t about speech at all. It’s about conduct. It’s about poor choices, and even worse behavior.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of Lemon’s appearance on late-night television and his attempts to make himself the victim. We were also joined by Special Presidential Envoy Ric Grenell to discuss the plan to renovate the Kennedy Center and the latest meltdown it’s causing on the Left.

Watch the full broadcast below: