A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.

The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.

In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.

Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”

The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.

“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.

All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”

Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.

This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.

The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”

Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.

Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”

Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.

(FOX 9) – Attorney General Keith Ellison is throwing his support behind a piece of legislation to combat Medicaid fraud in Minnesota.

Ellison fraud proposal

What we know:

Attorney General Keith Ellison and Rep. Matt Norris unveiled a proposal for a revised Medical Assistance Protection (MAP) Act, which would increase fraud unit staffing for the attorney general’s office and give the attorney general new powers to combat fraud.

Dig deeper:

Ellison’s revised proposal adds 18 dedicated, specialized staff to the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which increases the unit from 32 staff members to 50.

Ellison also points out the feds match every dollar Minnesota pledges towards fighting Medicaid fraud on a three-to-one basis. So, Minnesota will only really need to pay for four of the 18 positions at a cost of $1.2 million per every two-year budget cycle.

The staffing increase also comes at the recommendation of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

What else?:

The proposal would also change the definition of Medicaid fraud under state law to make it easier for prosecutors to go after fraudsters. Currently, Ellison says Medicaid fraud is defined as “presenting a false claim for reimbursement with intent to defraud.”

“That’s it,” said Ellison. “Such a narrow definition is challenging for prosecutors because it does not capture all the criminal conduct that can be part of a Medicaid fraud case.”

Ellison says the new proposal would ban acts like lying with the intent to defraud, falsifying records about the delivery of services, and destroying records when you receive a request from a state agency. The act would also increase the penalties for Medicaid fraud to match those of private sector fraud.

It would also give the attorney general’s office greater power to subpoena financial records and increase the statute of limitations to better handle longer-term fraud schemes.

Fraud report released

The backstory:

Ellison’s proposal comes two days after the release of a report by the man put in charge of combating fraud in Minnesota by Governor Walz. Program Integrity Director Tim O’Malley’s report found failures in oversight dating back to the 1970s.

Former Minnesota Department of Human Services workers also raised concerns that department leaders urged “compassion over compliance” when it came to fraud prevention.

The report also pointed to an example of lawmakers undermining state employees’ efforts to fight fraud.

The other side:

Republican lawmakers have also laid out their plans to combat fraud. GOP leaders are proposing the Fraud Isn’t Free Act, which creates consequences for agencies and commissioners who allow fraud to occur unchecked.

Big picture view:

Federal prosecutors have said that Medicaid fraud in Minnesota could total as high as $9 billion since 2018. Though state prosecutors have disputed that estimate, that claim, criticisms from President Trump, and the viral video created by right-wing influencer Nick Shirley have created an intense focus on fraud in the state.

Fraud also was a driving factor behind President Trump’s surge of federal officers into Minnesota in December and January.