Don Lemon Arrested By Federal Authorities Over Minnesota Church Protest

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/don-lemon-arrested-federal-authorities-over-minnesota-church-protest
Published: 2026-01-30
Author: Tyler Durden
Post Date: 2026-01-30 14:50:45 by Horse
Views: 129

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law when he entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota and shoved a microphone in people's faces to livestream reactions after activists stormed the church on Jan. 18. 

The protesters, chanting "ICE Out!" - interrupted services because one of its pastors is also an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Lemon originally faced charges related to allegedly violating federal laws protecting religious exercise/houses of worship (e.g., the FACE Act or 18 U.S.C. § 241 conspiracy to deprive civil rights) by interfering with the church service.

Lemon's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said his client was taken into custody by federal agents Thursday night in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy awards. He is expected to make his first court appearance there. 

Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg
NEW: Don Lemon tries lecturing a pastor on the First Amendment after a mob of far leftists stormed a church in Minneapolis. Pastor: “This is unacceptable. It's shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship…” Lemon: “Listen, there's a constitution, the First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.” Pastor: “We're here to worship Jesus because the hope of the world is Jesus Christ…” Lemon: “But did you try to talk to them?” Pastor: “No one is willing to talk. I have to take care of my church and my family so I ask that you would also leave this building.” Imagine storming a church mid worship and thinking you are the good guys.

Watch: https://x.com/i/status/2013025026623316168

(IF WE HAD MARTIAL LAW DON LEMON WOULD BE ON A MILITARY TRANSPORT TO GUAM TO STAND TRIAL.)
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Watch: Jennings Destroys Dems For Refusing To Condemn DA's Vow To "Hunt Down Nazi" ICE Agents
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“Beyond chilling...”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-jennings-destroys-dems-refusing-condemn-das-vow-hunt-down-nazi-ice-agents

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Tesla Shares Jump 5% After Musk Reportedly Mulls Merging SpaceX, xAI, Tesla Merger
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The rally lifted the company’s valuation back toward $1.65 trillion, signaling renewed confidence in Musk’s long-term strategy despite recent financial pressures.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tesla-shares-jump-5-after-musk-reportedly-mulls-merging-spacex-xai-tesla-merger

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 Congress caught leasing their own buildings to taxpayers while $1,000,000,000,000 disappears through duplicate federal payments.

https://citizenwatchreport.com/congress-caught-leasing-their-own-buildings-to-taxpayers-while-1000000000000-disappears-through-duplicate-federal-payments/

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Kathy Griffin Urges Fellow Leftists to Find Out if Their Neighbors are MAGA and Start to Plan

Kathy Griffin is urging her fellow unhinged leftists to identify “MAGA” supporters in their communities and begin organizing against them.

https://www.stationgossip.com/2026/01/watch-kathy-griffin-urges-fellow.html

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DOJ Releases 3 Million Pages Of Epstein Files Including Hundreds Of Thousands Of Photos
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No men in the photos were redacted...

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doj-releases-3-million-pages-epstein-files-including-hundreds-thousands-photos

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#1: Horse    To: Horse (#0)

A Tale of 82 Smurfs: Massive Money Laundering Fraud in the Democratic Party — Showcasing Missouri Congressman Wesley Bell

If I told you that 82 senior citizens that average 75 years old donated $11,516,000 in over 537,000 separate individual donations would you believe me?

Me neither!

According to the FEC, this group of senior citizens that average 75 years of age did just that!

Note: (The ages were determined with google searches that included the addresses and names.)

These donations of more than half a million separate donations (allegedly) only average $21.41 each.

Why?

That way the “masters of political money laundering” had hoped to stay “under the radar”. It worked for almost two decades. In the last few years investigative reporters such as James O Keefe, Peter Bernegger and Bob Cushman have foiled this great conspiracy that is believed to have laundered somewhere over a billion dollars in the last two decades through ActBlue with the probable complicity of the FEC.

This is what we call “smurfing” AKA money laundering.

This is illegal!

What is smurfing?  “Smurfing” involves making many small financial transactions to avoid reporting thresholds (e.g., for money laundering). In political campaign law there are two important functions which are “bypassed”.

It is generally required that the actual name of the donor be assigned to each donation. There are strict limits on how much an individual may contribute.

In “smurfing” (i.e. money laundering) these laws are ignored.

(Note: This report is an expansion of a previous analysis of 72 smurfs. This report adds 10 smurfs that are found contributing to Missouri Congressman Wesly Bell.)

82 Smurfs Exposed!

Data table listing contributions to various political campaigns, including donor names, ages, locations, total donations, number of donations, and average donation amounts.


The 82 smurf table above was accomplished by combining previously discovered smurfs as follows:

20 smurfs attributed to Cory Booker (Corey Booker was the common denominator in terms of campaign committees that paid large sum of money to the business interests of Judge Mechan’s daughter. All 20 smurfs donated to Bookers campaign committee thru ActBlue.)I have reported my findings of laundered money to the Judge Merchan family in a letter to the judiciary Committee/ Jim Jordan. In my research utilizing the FEC database I identified 20 money mules AKA “Smurfs” whose identities that I believed were stolen to launder money to money to various democratic entities. Isn’t it remarkable that just 20 individuals are shown to have donated about 2.6 million dollars in about 188,000 donations! Note Loren Merchan is the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan.) 22 smurfs attributed to Mark Kelly (AZ Senator and The Seditious Six Leader) – bjhi89In late 2025 and early 2026, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a retired Navy captain and astronaut, became the subject of intense scrutiny and administrative action by the Department of Defense (DoD) under Secretary Pete Hegseth, following accusations of “sedition” made by President Donald Trump.
The “Seditious” Allegation – The Video: In November 2025, Senator Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds released a video message to U.S. service members, stating: “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders”.
The Reaction: President Trump accused the lawmakers of “seditious behavior,” initially suggesting in a social media post that it was “punishable by DEATH”. Pentagon Action: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth labelled the comments as “seditious in nature” and a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Hegseth claimed that by telling troops to refuse orders, Kelly was undermining the chain of command and engaging in “reckless misconduct”. 10 smurfs attributed to Fani Willis (Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office were removed from the Trump case after the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled there was an appearance of impropriety tied to Willis’ romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she appointed to lead the case. A replacement prosecutor dismissed the case in November.) 10 smurfs attributed to Tim Walz ( Governor Tim Walz faces intense criticism, primarily from Republicans, for massive fraud in Minnesota’s social programs (like child care and school meals) occurring under his watch, with allegations of “money laundering” through fraudulent claims. President Trump has vowed to get to the truth in this case.) 10 smurfs attributed to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. (In January 2026, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is at the center of intense scrutiny and multiple investigations related to large-scale fraud within Minnesota’s Somali community and her own personal finances.) 10 Smurfs attributed to Missouri Congressman Wesley Bell. Wesley Bell, the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s 1st District and former St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, has faced several controversies and “problems” involving campaign finances, government spending, and political backlash Campaign Funds Used for Luxury Vehicle: In 2024, Bell’s campaign reportedly spent $35,000 to purchase a luxury Denali Ultimate SUV, a move that has drawn scrutiny from ethics watchdogs regarding the personal use of campaign funds. Staffer Altercation: During a heated town hall in August 2025, a staffer or associate of Bell was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with a protester, leading to further local condemnation.

Money Laundering Recipients of 82 Smurfs

Detailed spreadsheet displaying data about various individuals, including their involvement in specific categories, with color-coded indicators for easy analysis.


82 Smurfs feeding the Democratic Party Money Laundering

The chart above shows some of the primary recipients of the 11.5 million dollars that pretty much describes the Democratic Party. There are more but this cross-section should serve as a clear indication of the purposeful management/direction of this Massive Money Laundering effort.

Who received this laundered money?

The names include but are not limited to:

Gretchen Whitmer – Gov MI Fani Willis – DA – Ga Tim Walz – Gov – MN Ilhan Omar – Congress – MN DNC – Democratic National Committee DCCC – Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee DSCC – Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Progressive Takeover – Hybrid PAC Hillary Clinton Kamala Harris Joe Biden Cory Booker Mark Kelly Nancy Pelosi Chuck Schumer Adam Schiff Elissa Slotkin Raphael Warnock Jon Ossoff Elizabeth Warren Amy Klobuchar Gary Peters John Fetterman Hakeem Jeffries Maggie For NH

Why is this happening?

It seems clear to this reporter that the purpose of this smurfing (money laundering) is to provide “under the cover of darkness” large sums of money to Democratic candidates and committees and escape the limits of contributions and the revelations of the source of this money.

What is ActBlue?

ActBlue describes itself as:

“ActBlue is an American Democratic Party political action committee and fundraising platform founded in 2004. ActBlue is a major part of the Democratic Party’s fundraising infrastructure. As of 2025, ActBlue reports that it has raised $16 billion for Democratic candidates and causes since it was established.”

According to AI:

“Current Events and Investigations (2025–2026)

DOJ Investigation: In April 2025, following a presidential memorandum, the Department of Justice began investigating allegations of “straw donor” schemes and foreign contributions through the platform. Congressional Subpoenas: As of mid-2025, several House committees issued subpoenas to ActBlue and its employees, alleging a lack of security protocols like CVV verification. ActBlue has maintained that these investigations are “politically motivated attacks” and noted that they began requiring CVV codes for all new donations in 2023. Internal Restructuring: In early 2025, the organization saw the resignation of seven senior staffers, leading to concerns from employee unions about organizational stability.”

According to Conservatives

“In 2026, conservative figures and Republican lawmakers characterize ActBlue not just as a fundraising tool, but as a primary target for investigations into campaign finance irregularities and potential foreign interference.

According to prominent conservative perspectives:

A “Conduit” for Fraudulent Donations: Republican officials, including President Donald Trump and House Oversight chairs, have alleged that ActBlue’s platform facilitates “straw” or “dummy” donations. A 2025 House Republican report accused the platform of allowing “donation fraud” and “laundering” by failing to implement rigorous security protocols. A Vulnerability for Foreign Interference: Conservatives claim ActBlue’s past failure to require credit card CVV codes and its acceptance of prepaid gift cards created “potential vulnerabilities” that hostile foreign powers—such as China, Russia, or Iran—could exploit to illegally influence U.S. elections. Target of Presidential and State-Level Probes: In April 2025, President Trump signed a memorandum directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate ActBlue for violating federal election laws. State Attorneys General, such as Ken Paxton (Texas) and Jason Miyares (Virginia), have launched their own investigations into “suspicious” donor activity on the platform. Exploitative Toward Retirees: Some conservative critics point to “anomalous” data showing elderly Americans making thousands of small donations annually, suggesting these individuals may be unaware their names are being used or are being targeted by predatory recurring-donation tactics.”

What is WinRed?

WinRed describes itself as:

“WinRed is the #1 fundraising technology used by conservatives. Donors from across the country can easily connect with causes and candidates that they support.”

_____________________________________

Investigative Reporters Peter Bernegger and Bob Cushman have reported that WinRed also commits money laundering and uses smurfs. Although WinRed appears to “cheat” in a similar fashion as ActBlue, the degree and time duration is only a fraction of ActBlue’s “malignancy”. Although WinRed was established in 2014, it did not establish itself as a major player until 2020. WinRed has effectively only functioned for 25% as many years as ActBlue.

Who has reported this Massive Money Laundering?

The Gateway Pundit Example President Trump Orders Investigation Into ActBlue (https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/president-trump-orders-investigation-actblues-) Example (TGP Was First to Report on Democrat Money Laundering Using ActBlue – President Trump Called for an Investigation – The Seditious Six Now Implicated – Joe Hoft) Example (Rep. James Comer and FBI to Bring CRIMINAL CHARGES Against ActBlue Operatives in Largest Money Laundering Scheme in U.S. History https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/rep-james-comer-fbi-bring-criminal-charges-against/) Investigative Reporter and activist Peter Reporter Example (https://t.co/VNrW3S7Cqj) Example (https://x.com/PeterBernegger/status/2013275355272888406?s=20) Example FEC Complaint Filed Against Senator Mark Kelly for “Smurfing” (https://x.com/PeterBernegger/status/2003220366588584262?s=20) Investigative Reporter Bob Cushman Example (Massive Democrat Money Laundering Discovered – Names include Gretchen Whitmer, Jon Ossoff and Cory Booker https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/massive-democrat-money-laundering-discovered-names-include-gretchen/) Example (Legal Challenges — Massive MONEY LAUNDERING Allegations Emerge – https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/seditious-six-face-new-legal-challenges-massive-money/ ) Example Jocelyn Benson and Money Laundering -(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p28g5OmZDF7h9yv-hqx-5rFkZ5nnIKDx/view?pli=1)

Why have the Republicans not championed against this fraud?

Sadly, the Republican Party has not championed the fight against this outrageous fraud. The obvious reason is that many Republicans have either chosen to follow suit in receiving laundered money or have discovered that it was happening when it was too late to return the illegal campaign donations.

What is the biggest problem with this money laundering?

Our beloved country is supposed to have been established as a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.

That is not what we currently have.

We have a “government of special interests, by special interests, for special interests”.

As long as we allow massive amounts of money to pollute and corrupt our elected officials we will never obtain the representation that we long for, that we deserve. This is precisely why we are at or near an all time low of approval on Congress according to the recent Gallop poll.

Money is coming from outside of our country!

In a very informative news discussion between Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Charlie LeDuff in a “No BS Newshour Episode #395” and campaign strategist Jason Roe (Fraudette Smurf – YouTube) it was stated that ActBlue has allegedly received over 16 billion dollars since 2004.  It was also revealed that several senior members of ActBlue have abruptly resigned since allegations of fraud have come forward and several federal investigations have begun in 2025.

Jason Roe stated that people working within political campaigns for many years have been aware of the money laundering that was enabled by ActBlue and that Charlie LeDuff had, within the first few minutes of Episode 395, done a far better job of explaining how ActBlue had laundered money than any mainstream media ever had!

Jason Roe further states that:

This activity is fraud This activity is money laundering This activity is funneling money from outside the US That Republicans are now outraising Democrats for the first time in a decade

A break down of each Smurf group

It is believed that presenting each of the 6 smurf groups individually will make it easier to actually see the big picture of this massive money laundering system by Democratic candidates, committees and other malignant entities.

The Corey Booker Smurfs

The Cory Booker Smurfs were first identified when investigative reporter Bob Cushman researched the money laundering that was flowing to Authentic Campaigns, a company run by Judge Mechan’s daughter.

FOLLOW THE MONEY!

The Freedom Press recently researched the FEC database concerning money that was flowing into Judge Merchan’s daughters company, Authentic Campaigns, and found over $73,000,000, mostly from Democratic campaigns being paid to the judges daughter’s company.

The details of Authentic Campaigns Inc’s money influx can be seen HERE.

The Characteristics of the Cory Booker Smurfs are as follows:

Data table displaying contributions to Cory Booker from various donors, including names, locations, ages, total donations, and average donation amounts.

Notice how the seniors involved have an average age of 80 years old and that the average donation is only $13.85. This usage of seniors and small donations was done to attempt to stay under the radar. It is believed that this was not actions by seniors but rather identity theft.

Some consider this senior abuse.

 

The spreadsheet below is provided to allow the reader to visualize how completely the money laundering was integrated into the Democratic Party. The following candidates, committees and party committees  (and others) were the recipients of over 2.6 million dollars from these 20 smurfs.

Gretchen Whitmer DNC DCCC DSCC Progressive Takeover Hillary Clinton Kamala Harris Joe Biden Cory Booker Mark Kelly Nancy Pelosi Chuck Schumer Adam Schiff Elissa Slotkin Raphael Warnock Jon Ossoff Elizabeth Warren Amy Klobuchar Gary Peters John Fetterman Hakeem Jeffries Maggie For NH
A detailed spreadsheet titled "Smurf" listing individuals alongside their responses to various categories, highlighting participation with color-coded yes/no indicators.

Mark Kelly Smurfs

Spreadsheet displaying donation data for Mark Kelly Smurfs, including contributor names, cities, states, ages, total FEC donations, number of donations, and average donation amounts.

The 22 Mark Kelly Smurfs are “alleged” to have donated about 4.8 million dollars in about 134,000 separate donations which only average $35.91 each. This malfeasance is clearly illegally manufactured fiction. We await the investigation that Trump ordered AG Pam Bondi to conduct!

Spreadsheet displaying a list of individuals with various attributes marked as yes or no, related to a project called Smurf, including notes on evidence and reporting.
(Too Many more to include)

Horse posted on 2026-01-30 14:57:02   Reply   Private Reply


#2: Esso    To: All (#0)

The big stories du Jour:

1. Homosexual pedophile Don Lemon arrested.

2. Epstein file release, 3+ million pages.

3. BREAKING: Newly released Epstein files claim homosexual pedophile Bill Gates was begging Jeffrey Epstein for antibiotics he could secretly give Melinda after Gates allegedly contracted STDs from encounters with “Russian girls.” [Young boys dressed as girls]

Read that again.
The emails also reportedly include Gates sending Epstein a description of his own anatomy.
Absolutely vile.

Bill Gates and Bill Clinton…two powerful men exposed as total degenerates.
No wonder Melinda divorced him!
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Esso posted on 2026-01-30 16:12:13   Reply   Private Reply


#3: Esso    To: All (#2)

BREAKING: Bill Gates is reportedly on the run after the recent batch of Epstein files, alleging possible criminal involvement with “girls in Russia” There is no indication he has returned to the United States at all, after attending World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
https://x.com/usanewshq/status/2017335734898987509
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Esso posted on 2026-01-30 19:40:58   Reply   Private Reply


#4: Esso    To: All (#3)

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BREAKING: Don Lemon has been RELEASED without bail following his hearing in Los Angeles
Expect some sort of low IQ, pre-scripted statements from him momentarily.
This is the most attention this washed up loser has had in YEARS.
His next appearance is in Minneapolis on Feb 9
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BREAKING: Corrupt Judge releases Don Lemon without bail. Imagine if he wore a MAGA Hat His bail would be MILLIONS of dollars

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Btw: The Bill Gates STD email was in July, 2013
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Period stains on white pants to see how people react. [Video]
I'm not making fun of, but showing the humanity...
https://x.com/akafaceUS/status/2017401191496384852
My ex-wife told me her first period was in white pants in JH school where I met her.

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Well, fucking DUUUH, Mr. HomoPedo...
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Esso posted on 2026-01-30 21:40:41   Reply   Private Reply


#5: Esso    To: Dakmar (#4)

Don Lemon’s mugshot is a masterpiece of cosmic justice.
That smug, sanctimonious face...finally stripped of the studio lights, the teleprompter, the endless moral preening...now framed in county orange like the cheap convict he always was beneath the bespoke suits.
Look close: the eyes are dead.
The mouth that lectured America for years about “decency” and “accountability” is clamped shut, because for once there’s no corporate handler to bail him out with a scripted apology.
He thought he could wade into a church protest, camera crew in tow, playing the noble truth-teller while obstructing everyone else’s rights.
Turns out the First Amendment cuts both ways, Don.
Delicious.
Enjoy the holding cell, sweetheart.
The soap’s on the floor and nobody in there cares about your ratings.
Karma doesn’t negotiate.
It just delivers.

https://x.com/grey4626/status/2017397426403836345

Pacman's analysis:

This is someone's flight of fancy.
They don't put you in prison garb for a booking.
Except me when I shot the guy in the face and they seized my clothes for DNA evidence and the FWPD detectives put me in an ACSD jumpsuit.

When they took me to lockup, the Allen Co. Sheriff's Dept. were mad that the FWPD had stolen one of their coveralls.
Long story, short, the Allen County Sheriff's Department sent me out on the street with "spare clothing" and pointed me on the way to a bail bondsmen office where I could use a phone to get my wife to come get me. That was 2008.

The lovely Teri used to put up wit a lot from me, but the MDs telling her that I wouldn't live or if I did after 'Texting Granny' hit me head-on in her giant van 26Nov2013 I would be a vegitable.
She filed for divorce the next day.

Here I am.


Esso posted on 2026-01-30 22:22:28   Reply   Private Reply


#6: Esso    To: All (#5)

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Esso posted on 2026-01-30 23:33:31   Reply   Private Reply