MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Ordered to Pay $2.3M in Defamation Case

Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow and a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, was ordered by a Denver jury to pay $2.3 million in damages to Eric Coomer, a former security and product strategy director at Dominion Voting Systems, after being found liable for defamation. Lindell falsely accused Coomer of rigging the 2020 presidential election, claims that were part of wider conspiracy theories among Trump allies alleging election fraud despite audits and court rulings affirming President Joe Biden's victory. Coomer testified that these false claims destroyed his career and life, and his lawyers argued Lindell either knew the statements were false or made them recklessly. Lindell maintained his belief in election fraud, citing influences like the HBO documentary "Kill Chain" and Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, but did not present expert evidence during the trial. The case is part of broader legal actions by Dominion against various Trump allies and media outlets that propagated similar falsehoods, including a $787 million settlement against Fox News and ongoing suits against Newsmax, which apologized to Coomer in 2021. Lindell claimed his trial was to highlight issues with electronic voting machines and lamented financial losses linked to his election fraud advocacy, while distancing himself from some conspiracy claims that emerged during the trial.