MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former federal prosecutor who left his position due to disagreements with the Trump administration is now representing former CNN host Don Lemon. Lemon is one of nine individuals indicted for allegedly disrupting a church service in Minnesota where an ICE official served as pastor.
A court filing revealed that Lemon has appointed Joe Thompson, a former interim U.S. Attorney, as his legal counsel. Thompson was previously involved in significant fraud investigations at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office until he resigned last month. His exit was amidst a wave of frustration regarding immigration enforcement initiatives and the Justice Department's handling of recent shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis.
Lemon, who has previously expressed through another attorney his intention to defend against the charges, contends that he was not connected with the group that interrupted the church service. He insists that he was merely covering the event as an independent journalist. The indictment cites multiple actions taken by the group, which included Lemon's on-camera commentary.
Scheduled for arraignment on February 13 in St. Paul federal court, Lemon has maintained his innocence concerning federal civil rights charges.
Thompson established a new law firm alongside another former prosecutor, Harry Jacobs, who also resigned from the U.S. Attorney's office amid organizational turmoil. Their firm brands itself as experienced litigation attorneys. The development of Lemon's case highlights the ongoing controversies surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which the Trump administration has used as a basis for a crackdown, particularly focusing on cases involving the Somali community.
