Don Lemon hires ex-federal prosecutor who quit after Trump admin tried to investigate Renee Good's wife

Don Lemon’s defense team has a new addition: a former prosecutor for the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota.

Joseph H. Thompson worked for the office from 2014 to 2026, and was named its lead prosecutor by President Donald Trump from June to October 2025. But he was among six prosecutors who resigned last month over the Justice Department’s effort to investigate the wife of Renée Good.

Now Thompson will take on his former office in court as he represents Lemon, the veteran journalist arrested last month in relation to his coverage of an anti-deportation protest inside a St. Paul church.

Thompson was brought on the case because he is licensed to practice law in Minnesota, where Lemon is being tried, and has expertise on the state’s court system, a representative for the legal team told The Advocate Wednesday. The defense is being led by Abbe Lowell.

Related: What to know about Don Lemon, the gay journalist arrested by the Trump administration

Lemon, who is openly gay, worked for CNN for 17 years until he was fired in 2023. Since January 2024, he has hosted The Don Lemon Show on YouTube and online streaming platforms.

Journalist Don Lemon addresses reporters after he was released from federal custody in Los Angeles on January 30, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

On January 18, Lemon covered a protest inside Cities Church in St. Paul. Protesters alleged that its pastor was an immigration enforcement agent.

Lemon was later arrested at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 29. He was charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and interference with religious freedoms. Independent journalist Georgia Fort was also arrested after covering the protest. Press freedom groups condemned his arrest.

Thompson is not the only member of Lemon’s defense who was hired for their regional expertise, the representative for the defense said. Marilyn Bednarski, another member of the defense team, is based in California, where Lemon was taken into custody.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lemon’s lead attorney, Abbe Lowell, previously told The Advocate. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.