‘Wow!’ Don Lemon Astonished By Email Revelation in Alec Baldwin Shooting Case

CNN anchor Don Lemon was astonished to learn of one key revelation in the case against actor Alec Baldwin in the Rust shooting, which is being dismissed after changes to the prosecution team.

The tragic incident in which Baldwin discharged a prop firearm, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza on the set of the film Rust has taken another turn. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in January, but on Thursday night, the prosecutors announced they will be dismissing the charges:

We cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form. We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin to conduct further investigation. This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled.

On Friday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson declared the move “vindication” for Baldwin and ripped prosecutors for not factoring in the evidence before bringing charges in the first place.

But Lemon asked about the role politics may have played in the case, citing an internal email to District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies that was revealed last month showing that when Andrea Reeb was hired to the prosecution team, she asked for publicity that she thought might help her political campaign:

LEMON: Okay. Look, can I ask you about — the prosecution had some missteps, said that ultimately forcing the case to be assigned to a whole new team. I’m wondering if politics could be interfering in this because you have — you seem to have concerns about the prosecutor. There was this email from a prosecutor saying at some point, though, I’d like — I’d at least like to get out there that I am assisting you as it might help me in my campaign, LOL.

HARLOW: That was the first prosecutor, right?

JOEY JACKSON: So, this was crazy. What happened was a special prosecutor apparently was running for office at the time or held the position as a state senator, or some such thing. What ended up happening was that she was also prosecuting the case. You can’t prosecute cases predicated upon politics. You have to prosecute them predicated upon facts, although we see the political element you know, coming into these all the time. And so she steps aside. Another special prosecutor is appointed. The actual district attorney steps aside and then you have new special prosecutors who say, guess what, there’s new evidence, we have to dismiss this case. It should not have been brought.

LEMON: (astonished whisper) WOW!

HARLOW: Joey Jackson, wow, indeed. Thank you.

JOEY JACKSON: Thank you.

Reeb was removed from the case last month, and the new team decided to dismiss the case.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.