Updated at 11:10 am with arrest of Minneapolis journalist
(WASHINGTON) – The arrest of independent journalist Don Lemon is yet another blatant violation of press freedom and the First Amendment, PEN America said today, calling his arrest on charges he violated federal law while covering a Minneapolis protest another example of the Trump White House’s “misuse of government power to deflect accountability and intimidate a free press.”
Journalist Georgia Fort, co-founder of the Minnesota-based Center for Broadcast Journalism, was also arrested by federal agents for her coverage of protests in a Minneapolis church
The arrests follow the federal raid of a Washington Post reporter’s home – and the confiscation of her electronic devices – as well as a slew of other recent actions against journalists, underscoring a growing pattern of government overreach that threatens press freedom.
“Once again, the Trump administration has trampled the First Amendment, this time by arresting a journalist who was clearly doing his job. Journalists have a constitutional right to observe, document, and report on matters of public interest, including protests and the actions of government officials, without fear of arrest or retaliation. The fact that a federal magistrate judge and a federal appeals court already rejected the evidence against Lemon makes his arrest all the more troubling, putting on full display the continued misuse of government power to deflect accountability and intimidate a free press,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at PEN America. “Don Lemon is a journalist, and journalists have the right to gather news. We call on the government to drop all charges. Journalism is not a crime.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057