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Journalists charged for church protest roles
Court hearings for independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were held on Friday after both were charged for their roles in covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota. FOX 9’s Paul Blume has the details.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A new court filing reveals that Don Lemon has hired former U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson – who recently resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Good – to be part of his legal team that defends him against charges stemming from his presence at an anti-ICE protest in St. Paul.
Don Lemon legal team
What we know:
In January, Lemon was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
The former CNN journalist faces several charges stemming from his involvement in a protest at a church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, 2026, during which demonstrators were charged with interfering with worshipers’ rights as they protested against a pastor at the church, David Easterwood, who also serves as the acting field office director for ICE in St. Paul.
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DOJ investigating church protest
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in the Twin Cities over the weekend. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim has the latest.
In the days that followed, videos posted by protesters and captured by journalists show protesters chanting and confronting the lead pastor, and some worshipers before the church was ultimately cleared.
Several journalists, including Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort, are now facing charges.
You can find a copy of the court filing below:
Joe Thompson hired
Dig deeper:
Former Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, previously a senior federal prosecutor who resigned after allegedly being asked to investigate the widow of Renee Good, has been added to the legal team of Lemon.
Tasked to work with lead defense lawyer Abbe Lowell, Thompson will effectively battle the same department that employed him the last 17 years.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson resigns amid Renee Good probe
Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has resigned along with five other federal prosecutors after being pushed to investigate the widow of Minneapolis ICE shooting victim Renee Good.
The backstory:
Thompson was the lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation in Minnesota after being appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as acting U.S. Attorney in Minnesota earlier in 2025.
As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, he announced additional charges related to various fraud investigations in state programs in December 2025.
Until his resignation just weeks ago, Thompson would have been helping lead the prosecutor’s office that has charged Lemon.
What's next:
The case could prove a precedent for use of the FACE Act in years that follow.
The act has two components to its law, governing both reproductive clinics and places of worship.
Since its passage in 1994, the Department of Justice hasn’t tried a criminal case under the FACE Act for a violation of the religious freedom component of the law.