CNN has issued a strong statement criticizing the FBI’s arrest of former anchor Don Lemon, warning that the case raises serious questions about press freedom and First Amendment protections.
In a statement released by @CNNPR, the network emphasized that federal authorities had previously failed to secure arrest warrants for the same incident in Minnesota. According to CNN, a federal judge found no evidence of criminal activity tied to journalists’ work while covering a church protest.
“The FBl’s arrest of our former CNN colleague Don Lemon raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment. The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota Federal District Court found there was ‘no evidence’ that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work,” the statement reads.
CNN added that, “The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold… and the DOJ’s attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable.”
The network said it will continue to closely monitor the case.