Don Lemon codefendant seeks to toss FACE Act indictment in church storming case

Published February 10, 2026 1:01pm ET



A codefendant charged alongside former CNN host Don Lemon in a federal case stemming from an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest inside a Minnesota church is asking a judge to dismiss his charges.

Ian Davis Austin, one of nine defendants charged over a January disruption at St. Paul’s Cities Church, filed a motion on Friday seeking dismissal of the conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act counts as applied to him, arguing the indictment criminalizes expressive protest activity rather than unlawful conduct.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.