Don Lemon hires surprising attorney, an ex-Trump appointee prosecutor who exposed massive Minnesota fraud case

Former CNN host Don Lemon has added an unlikely attorney to his legal team as he faces charges over his role in a January protest by anti-immigration enforcement agitators at a Minnesota church.

Joe Thompson, who served as the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota after being appointed by President Donald Trump in May 2025, resigned from the U.S. Attorney's Office in January. He was the lead prosecutor who helped uncover the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future food fraud case tied to the state's Somali community.