Federal prosecutors decline to confirm if Don Lemon's phone records were obtained

<p>Federal prosecutors have not disclosed whether they secretly obtained phone records for journalist Don Lemon using an administrative summons, according to his lawyers in a court filing on Monday. This raises concerns regarding the legal authority used to gather information as Lemon and others face civil rights charges related to a January protest at a church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.</p><p>In January, officials issued an administrative summons to Verizon for a log of Lemon’s phone records from December 19 to January 20. This request was not issued by a grand jury, which is standard in criminal investigations, nor was it a court-approved search warrant. Instead, it originated from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which stated it was acting under 19 USC 1509, a law that grants the department the ability to investigate records related to customs issues. Experts have criticized the government for potentially misusing this authority to collect records on journalists, activists, unions, non-profits, and online critics, expressing concerns that such actions may violate the fourth amendment's right to privacy.</p>