*A federal judge rejected multiple search warrant applications tied to an investigation involving former CNN anchor Don Lemon, a setback that eventually led prosecutors to withdraw their requests after repeated court concerns over their legal foundation.
The case originates from a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators targeted a pastor who also served as a supervisor at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. Federal prosecutors later charged Lemon and several others with civil rights violations related to the incident.
As part of the probe, DHS special agent Timothy Gerber sought several warrants seeking digital records tied to YouTube accounts and mobile devices. However, a federal magistrate judge twice refused to approve the applications, finding significant deficiencies in how probable cause was presented, Reason.com reports.
One of the most disputed requests involved broad subscriber data connected to “The Don Lemon Show” on YouTube, including names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and IP information. The court questioned the relevance of compiling such an extensive list and said prosecutors failed to adequately link the data to the alleged offenses.
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Additional applications targeting phone and platform records for multiple individuals were also rejected. Judges noted that prosecutors did not clearly establish connections between the devices and criminal conduct, and raised concerns about requests for Apple account data that lacked sufficient justification.
The court also pointed to First Amendment concerns, noting that some referenced YouTube content appeared to constitute protected political speech. It further found that investigators had not adequately tied certain online channels to specific defendants, weakening the basis for the requests.
Beyond those issues, the judge highlighted potential protections under the Privacy Protection Act and questioned whether Justice Department procedures for obtaining journalist-related materials were properly followed.
Following continued scrutiny, prosecutors withdrew the warrant applications. In court filings, they acknowledged that “Other options were available,” conceded the data had “limited value,” and admitted the requests “did warrant some tailoring.”
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