Few hosts on CNN are as inflammatory and ridiculous as Don Lemon. While laughably considering himself a “journalist,” he’s a rabid partisan and has spent most of the past few months confidently pronouncing that Donald Trump is a white supremacist and blaming mass shootings on Republicans. He’s also someone who used his platform to savage Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. Due process wasn’t a concern of Lemon’s as he hosted guest after guest assailing the character of the now Supreme Court Justice.

Now, the tables have turned as CNN’s own Don Lemon is being sued for sexual assault.

BREAKING: Man Sues CNN’s Don Lemon for Alleged Assault at Sag Harbor Bar https://t.co/7XFOMD0v1y — Mediaite (@Mediaite) August 13, 2019

Dustin Hice, the man accusing Lemon of assault, claimed that the CNN host attacked him at Sag Harbor dive bar Murf’s in July 2018. Hice, who was working at the time at another Hamptons bar, alleged that one night at Murf’s he recognized Lemon there. Hice offered to buy him a drink, which the CNN host declined. Later in the night, according to Hice, Lemon approached him and his group of friends and, after putting his hand down his shorts he “vigorously rubbed his genitalia” and “shoved his index and middle fingers into [Hice’s] moustache.”

Did this actually happen? I don’t know. The description of events is pretty specific but that’s hardly dispositive. What I do know is that CNN has previously set the standard that lack of evidence doesn’t matter when they are targeting their political opponents.

But because this is one of their own, CNN has suddenly decided that questioning motives is appropriate.

“The plaintiff in this lawsuit has previously displayed a pattern of contempt for CNN on his social media accounts,” a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite in a statement. “This claim follows his unsuccessful threats and demands for an exorbitant amount of money from Don Lemon. Don categorically denies these claims and this matter does not merit any further comment at this time.”

This is a benefit of the doubt that CNN has never given to anyone on the right side of the aisle. To now see them cite things like a “pattern of contempt” and previous malice to discredit an accuser is incredibly ironic. Oddly enough, Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy, who spend most of their time attacking any semblance of controversy in right wing media, have remained silent on this.

We’ll see where this goes, but it could get ugly if Hice has any witnesses to the behavior described. Don’t expect CNN to operate in any consistent manner regardless.

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