Don Lemon now represented by ex-prosecutor who resigned from DOJ

A high-profile erstwhile authoritative who was portion of a question of resignations from the Justice Department's bureau successful Minneapolis past period has a astonishing caller client: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson notified a judge Tuesday that helium present represents Lemon, who is battling charges from the Justice Department stemming from a protestation astatine a Minnesota religion service. Lemon is also represented by well-known D.C.-based lawyer Abbe Lowell.

Thompson worked arsenic a authoritative for the Justice Department for implicit a decade, serving astatine 1 constituent past twelvemonth arsenic acting U.S. Attorney successful Minnesota. He's been known successful caller months for starring a series of fraud prosecutions that ensnared implicit 90 defendants accused of bilking Minnesota's nationalist assistance programs. Thompson estimated the fraud schemes — which drew the Trump administration's attraction — outgo the authorities astatine slightest $9 billion.

But Thompson and respective different prosecutors resigned past period from the U.S. Attorney's office. The resignations stemmed successful portion from concerns implicit a propulsion to analyse the widow of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally changeable by an ICE agent, CBS News reported astatine the time.

Attempts to scope Thompson for remark were unsuccessful.

Lemon and 8 others were indicted past month successful transportation with a protestation that disrupted a religion service. He was charged with 1 number of conspiracy against spiritual state and 1 number of interfering with the workout of spiritual state astatine a spot of worship.

Lemon was contiguous during the objection astatine the religion successful St. Paul, Minnesota, which was sparked by a find that 1 of the pastors was an ICE official.

The erstwhile CNN journalist-turned-streaming big has said helium was covering the protestation arsenic a reporter, not participating successful it, and helium had no affiliation with the protesters who were charged.

Lowell said successful a connection aft Lemon was arrested successful Los Angeles precocious past month: "Don has been a writer for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected enactment successful Minneapolis was nary antithetic than what helium has ever done … The First Amendment exists to support journalists whose relation it is to radiance airy connected the information and clasp those successful powerfulness accountable."

The Justice Department faced immoderate aboriginal stumbling blocks successful the Lemon case, aft a Minnesota magistrate justice refused to motion a complaint charging him implicit the protest. The pursuing week, Lemon and others were indicted by a expansive jury, and national instrumentality enforcement unit arrested him. He was released connected his ain recognizance without posting bond.