Mike Lindell verdict: MyPillow founder defamed former voting equipment company boss
A federal jury has found MyPillow founder Mike Lindell liable for defaming a former Colorado voting system executive after the 2020 presidential election.
The Denver-based jury determined on June 16 that Lindell made "baseless conspiracy theories claiming election fraud in the 2020 election" and slandered Eric Coomer, a former director at Dominion Voting Systems, a North American company that makes and sells voting machines and tabulators.
Coomer filed the suit in the District of Colorado in May 2022, claiming Lindell and two of his companies − MyPillow and FrankSpeech − helped spread a conspiracy theory that he rigged the election against President Donald Trump.
More: Why is Mike Lindell in court? MyPillow CEO on trial for defamation lawsuit
According to the 67-page suit obtained by USA TODAY, Lindell previously called Coomer "a traitor."
The trial started on June 2 and lasted two weeks, online court records show.
'We're thrilled with the verdict,' said Coomer's attorney, Charles Caine, told Colorado Public Radio (CPR), after the jury handed down its decision, adding his client has "gone through a lot and he's still going to be looking over his shoulder... Hopefully this serves as deterrence for individuals working on our elections from being targeted."
USA TODAY has reached out to Caine as well as Lindell's attorneys.
Lindell, 63, has publicly defended his claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
"They're coming after me and MyPillow for telling the truth about our elections!" Lindell wrote on May 31 on Facebook.
After the verdict, Lindell was ordered to pay nearly $2.3 million in damages, CPR reported, a number nowhere near the award amount Coomer had requested ($62.7 million). Jurors, the outlet said, rejected claims Lindell and his two companies were responsible for comments made by others on social media platforms he controlled.
According to court documents, Lindell aligned himself with podcaster Joseph Oltmann to spread a conspiracy theory he was involved in rigging voting systems during the 2020 election.
Lindell spread a claim that originated from Oltmann, who is alleged to have made up a story about overhearing someone identified only as 'Eric, the Dominion guy' claiming to have rigged the election against Trump.
Oltmann disclosed the alleged claims on an episode of his podcast, which aired after former President Joe Biden's victory in November 2020, according to the lawsuit. The podcaster also said he infiltrated the conference call for a left-wing political group, which is where "Eric" made the claims on an unspecified date months before the election, the complaint says.
Lindell amplified the claim online, jurors found, causing threats against Coomer, whom Oltmann later identified as the anonymous 'Eric."
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Lindell found liable for defaming former voting system executive
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