Don Lemon Indictment Unsealed
DON LEMON LEFT JOURNALISM AND BECAME AN ACTIVIST YET STILL WANTS PRESS PRIVILEGES
By SyndicatedNews Legal Eagle | SNN.BZ
The federal indictment against Don Lemon and eight co-defendants was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (Case No. 0:26-cr-00025-LMP-DLM), filed under seal on January 29, 2026, and unsealed shortly thereafter. The document charging all defendants under two counts related to the January 18, 2026, disruption of a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota is this document below.
The indictment, unsealed recently, charges Lemon and eight co-defendants (including another journalist, Georgia Fort, and several protest participants/organizers) with two federal counts:
- Conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship (under 18 U.S.C. § 241, a general civil rights conspiracy statute).
- Injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship (under 18 U.S.C. § 247, part of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which protects access to places of worship among other things).
Prosecutors allege the actions during the protest (which involved demonstrators entering and disrupting the service, reportedly tied to a pastor’s alleged ICE connection) violated these laws by obstructing congregants’ First Amendment rights to freely exercise religion. Lemon maintains he was present solely as an independent journalist documenting the event, and his legal team argues the charges raise serious First Amendment concerns, as journalism and newsgathering are constitutionally protected activities.
Key developments:
- Lemon was arrested by federal agents (involving the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations) in Los Angeles overnight (late January 30, 2026, local time), while reportedly covering the Grammy Awards.
- He appeared in federal court in Los Angeles on January 30/31, 2026, and was released on his own recognizance (no bond required).
- Similar releases occurred for some co-defendants.
- Lemon has publicly vowed to fight the charges, stating he will not be silenced and framing it as an attack on press freedom.
This case has sparked debate, with critics calling it an overreach or attempt to chill journalism under the current administration, while supporters of the charges argue the protest crossed into unlawful interference. The matter remains ongoing, with Lemon expected to plead not guilty.
The federal indictment against Don Lemon (full case: United States v. Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong, et al., Case No. 0:26-cr-00025-LMP-DLM, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota) is a 14-page document filed on January 29, 2026, and unsealed shortly after. It charges Lemon and eight co-defendants with two felony counts stemming from the January 18, 2026, disruption at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
