Don Lemon, Georgia Fort seek dismissal of charges tied to St. Paul church protest
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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon filed motions Friday asking a federal court to dismiss charges against him stemming from his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church earlier this year.
One of Lemon’s motions argues that the prosecution is vindictive and resulted from President Donald Trump’s repeated public criticism of him. Court documents include screenshots of Trump’s social media posts about Lemon, including one in which the president calls him the “dumbest man on television.”
Lemon and other independent journalists covered a January demonstration inside Cities Church in St. Paul.
Journalist Georgia Fort, who also covered the protest, filed similar motions Thursday. Her attorneys argue that the charges violate her First Amendment rights, amount to vindictive prosecution and fail to identify any offenses she allegedly committed.
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 38 people with conspiracy in connection with the demonstration. Prosecutors allege the defendants conspired to deprive churchgoers of their right to worship.
All 38 defendants have pleaded not guilty.
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