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BREAKING UPDATE: Magistrate Judge REFUSES to Sign Complaint Bringing Charges Against Don Lemon
Gateway Pundit ^ | January 22, 2026 | Cristina Laila

Posted on 01/22/2026 10:44:38 AM PST by Morgana

The Trump Justice Department charged Don Lemon and 7 others for storming Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

However, the magistrate judge rejected the charges against Don Lemon.

Politico reporter Josh Gerstein corrected his previous post to clarify that the judge rejected charges against Don Lemon.

According to CBS News, the Justice Department is currently looking at other avenues to charge Don Lemon.

BREAKING: Trump Justice Department charges journalist Don Lemon along with 7 others over church protest aimed at ICE agent

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) January 22, 2026

It was reported earlier Thursday federal a magistrate judge rejected charges against Don Lemon.

CBS News reported earlier that a federal magistrate judge rejected charges against Don Lemon:

A Minnesota federal magistrate judge refused to sign a complaint charging independent journalist Don Lemon in connection with a protest inside a church in St. Paul on Sunday, multiple sources familiar with the proceedings told CBS News.

“The attorney general is enraged at the magistrate’s decision,” said a source familiar with the matter. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been in Minnesota for two days, as the Justice Department has sought to surge prosecutorial and law enforcement resources there.

A different source stressed that the process is not over, and the Justice Department could find other avenues to charge Lemon.

On Sunday, Don Lemon livestreamed as anti-ICE protestors stormed a church in St. Paul because the pastor supposedly worked for ICE.

“This is the beginning of what’s going to happen here,” Lemon said as anti-ICE protestors shouted down the pastor and harassed parishioners.

Don Lemon Livestreams as Anti- ICE Protestors Storm Church in St. Paul

Don Lemon admitting that he had foreknowledge that the protestors were going to enter a church and disrupt the sermon.

Lemon admitted he was embedded with BLM activist Nekima Armstrong and the group of rabid protestors.

Nekima Armstrong was arrested by the FBI on Thursday and charged with Conspiracy Against Rights, a federal crime that carries up to ten years in prison.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: church; citieschurch; crime; davidtschultz; donlemon; douglaslmicko; dumblemming; elizabethcowanwright; elsambullard; johnfdocherty; judgewatch; judgeziafaruqui; kiddietablejudge; leoibrisbois; magistratejudge; mediainterference; minnesota; nekimaarmstrong; stpaul; stpaulminnesota; toadysjournalists; todaysurinalists; treasondon; treasonmedia; ziafaruqui
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To: iontheball

“The natural response is to take the matter up to the Federal judge who sits over the magistrate.”

The natural response is to obtain a grand jury indictment.


21 posted on 01/22/2026 11:07:33 AM PST by Labyrinthos
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To: Chgogal
This “judge” and his family need to be sent back to Pakistan.
22 posted on 01/22/2026 11:10:27 AM PST by Chgogal (The NYT is the mouthpiece of the violent left-wing Democrat Pa)
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Meet DC Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui.

A Leftist named Jacob Winkler shot a laser into the eyes of a SS officer and then into POTUS Trump’s helicopter at take off.

Faruqui denied a Trump DOJ request to detain Winkler.

So a potential threat is free.

The judiciary is a problem. pic.twitter.com/I9snFRU3c6— C3 (@C_3C_3) September 25, 2025


23 posted on 01/22/2026 11:11:03 AM PST by rxsid (HOW CAN A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN'S STATUS BE "GOVERNED" BY GREAT BRITAIN? - Leo Donofrio (2009))
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

They got that saschswach commie moron.


24 posted on 01/22/2026 11:11:58 AM PST by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA AND HE WILLL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM!)
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To: Morgana

The DOJ should subpoena Lemon’s social media and email to see if he had any communications with the event organizers prior to the event and to judge his state of mind as to whether he considered himself a participant.


25 posted on 01/22/2026 11:13:53 AM PST by Steve_Seattle1
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To: Vesuvian

In this case, we can see the whole machinery of deep state / Democrat operations laid bare.

Life-time, woke careerist race agitators belonging to the typical organizations

these NGOs funded by taxpayers, so its state-funded political agitation.

CNN Homo Don Lemon - paid propagandist arrives on scene to broadcast the spectacle

Controlled woke federal judges work the gears of woke lawfare.


26 posted on 01/22/2026 11:19:58 AM PST by PGR88
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To: Morgana

And there I thought that the decision to prosecute a crime was up to the Attorney General.

Who knew? /s

Methinks this ‘not really a judge’ has made this a separation of powers issue.


27 posted on 01/22/2026 11:20:12 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: Morgana

Investigate the judges financial sources.


28 posted on 01/22/2026 11:21:17 AM PST by Highest Authority (DemonRats are pure EVIL)
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To: Morgana

Empanel a Grand Jury.

L


29 posted on 01/22/2026 11:22:00 AM PST by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.s)
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To: rxsid

“ Every day I wonder what it will take to get Republicans in Washington to defund and shut down the federal courthouse in DC.”

They’re not interested


30 posted on 01/22/2026 11:22:24 AM PST by stanne
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To: Morgana

What are the limits of freedom of speech, free press, freedom of religion?

You cannot cry “FIRE” in a crowded theater as that endangers others.

You cannot force a Bible publisher to print Satan’s side of the story. You cannot force a preacher to give equal time to non-believers.

You can express your freedoms in your own church. But you cannot enter the church of a rival faith and force your expressions on that church.

A clear description of what is 1st Amendment Freedoms might again be necessary.


31 posted on 01/22/2026 11:23:45 AM PST by spintreebob
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To: Morgana

I cannot verify that a federal magistrate judge has that power.


32 posted on 01/22/2026 11:29:31 AM PST by FlyingEagle
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To: Morgana

Federal criminal charges are almost always(95+%?) brought by Grand Jury. Why does this Justice Department/Bloni fail to cooperate with usual procedure, including bringing timely charges - Comey, real US Attorney’s - Hannigan, and other monkey business? It is always amateur hour.


33 posted on 01/22/2026 11:32:21 AM PST by Oystir ( )
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To: Steve_Seattle1

Just read he scrubbed his X account.


34 posted on 01/22/2026 11:39:33 AM PST by RacerX1128 (Cornered in CA)
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To: Morgana

Federal Grand Jury. There has to be one in session somewhere. Indict him.


35 posted on 01/22/2026 11:41:41 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: rxsid; Red Badger; SunkenCiv; Liz

Nice excerpts, thank you.

Notice that “toady’s journalists” (er, today’s urinalists) are not able to report anything more complicated that one sentence paragraphs, resized and repeated endlessly inside the “story” for use as a web-page hysteria-producing hype?

So, what is the judge’s NAME? Who appointed this magistrate, and when was he/she/it appointed?


36 posted on 01/22/2026 11:42:17 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE
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To: Steve_Seattle1

The face act prohibits intimidation by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction, of a person exercising their right of religious freedom.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/248
There was no force used, but 20 people screaming “say her name Renee Good” or “out out David Easterwood” (the pastor) could be evidence of the threat of force. but the easy one is “physical obstruction”. In the abortion clinic section of the FACE act, this clearly means things like blocking a doorway so patients can’t get into the abortion clinic. But in the religious worship section, the word “obstruct” has another clear meaning, as in “obstructing the view”. In a religious service the attendees are looking at and listening to the pastor, priest, or imam. If their view of the pastor (or arguably their ability to hear the pastor) is blocked by the protestors, then the protestors are “physically obstructing” the exercise of religion. I rest my case. Hopefully someone at DOJ will figure this out.


37 posted on 01/22/2026 11:42:48 AM PST by brookwood (First the left said it was OK to steal. Next they said it was OK to kill.)
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To: rxsid

Zia Mustafa Furuqui is a Magistrate Judge in Washington, DC. According to the media, the judge that removed Lemon from the suit is a Magistrate Judge in Minnesota, where AG Bondi is currently located for expediency with this matter. According to what I have found, the case was filed in Minnesota, not DC.


38 posted on 01/22/2026 11:44:58 AM PST by 4Runner ("I gotta join a union to get paid for loafin'?" " Sure ya do!" --Abbott & Costello)
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To: rxsid

The arrest warrant you are showing is from 2023 in a DC court. Why? This is not the same Magistrate Judge involved in the current case against Don Lemon, which was filed in Minnesota.


39 posted on 01/22/2026 11:49:42 AM PST by 4Runner ("I gotta join a union to get paid for loafin'?" " Sure ya do!" --Abbott & Costello)
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To: Oystir

“...Why does this Justice Department/Bloni fail to cooperate with usual procedure...”

Unfortunately, we have a teeny-bopper valley girl pretending to be the AG, a real man’s job.
We need a bulldog of an AG that ain’t afraid to bite em square on the arse right where it huts.


40 posted on 01/22/2026 11:52:10 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
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