Journalist Don Lemon in New York City on October 28, 2019 (Image: Shutterstock)
The indictment of journalist Don Lemon was recently unsealed, and many legal experts are largely in agreement that the charging document is flimsy at best.
On Friday, CNN host Jake Tapper posted the unsealed 12-page indictment of his former colleague to his official X account. Lemon has been charged with one count of conspiracy against right of religious freedom at place of worship and one count of impeding access to the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship. The charges stem from Lemon documenting a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota where one of the pastors is reportedly in a leadership position within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The indictment was immediately met with mockery by various attorneys, journalists and legal commentators. New York Times Justice Department correspondent Glenn Thrush observed that one of the allegations against Lemon "is that he and [a] protester -- 2 people -- 'largely surrounded' the pastor, and then Lemon asked the pastor 'questions.'" Washington D.C. based attorney John Aravosis wrote on social media that the indictment "basically accuses [Lemon] of journalism."
"He asked the pastor and congregants questions. Yeah, that’s literally journalism," Aravosis wrote. "There’s no proof, or even substantive allegation, of Lemon partaking in any conspiracy. They’re claiming that his presence is proof that he conspired with them. And that’s not true. It’s proof of journalism."
"If this is the case against Don Lemon, it's about as weak as it gets," tweeted criminal defense attorney Scott Greenfield.
"[A]s far as I can tell, the 'crime' that Lemon is being charged with is knowing that this group was about to go protest and not telling anyone on his livestream where they were going?" Attorney Randy Herman asked his Bluesky followers.
"I give it eight weeks for the indictment of Don Lemon to be thrown out," attorney Bradley P. Moss wrote on Bluesky.
"This is one of the shakiest indictments ever," podcaster Vince Wilson wrote on X. "All I see from this is a journalist doing what journalists do."
