Trump-affiliated individual facing trial within conspiracy alliance proceedings
In the Colorado federal court, Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and adored Trump ally, is currently on trial due to his relentless rants about the 2020 election. Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems executive, brought forward the defamation lawsuit against Lindell in 2022. Coomer shared with CNN that he was forced into obscurity following a barrage of fake conspiracy theories about Dominion rigging the election in Trump's favor. This consecutive stream of lies, as Coomer asserted in the lawsuit, had damaging real-world consequences.
Prior to this, Dominion had already won a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, with the network agreeing to pay a whopping $787.5 million. Dominion has several other lawsuits still in progress. Coomer has indeed settled one of his other cases, against the far-right network One America News, in 2023.
However, the trial against Lindell reached a jury, with Coomer himself expected to testify as soon as Tuesday afternoon. For those like Coomer, hopes lie in legal victories potentially compelling partisan talking heads to think twice about sowing doubt in future elections.
Lindell, ever the showman, has now positioned himself as a free speech zealot in the face of widespread criticism of his election-related falsehoods. Recently, he claimed that the numerous lawsuits against him have left him financially devastated. Both Dominion and Smartmatic, another voting tech company, are currently suing Lindell for defamation. Smartmatic alleges that Lindell strategically incorporated product promotions into his defamation campaign.
In March, a federal judge in Minnesota found Lindell in contempt of court due to his failure to provide required documents in the Smartmatic case. Lindell has exploited the current trial as a media spectacle and fundraising opportunity through his obscure online video network, LindellTV. Host Emerald Robinson, known for peddling conspiracy theories much like her boss, called the case "the most significant trial in the history of American elections."
Lindell's running comments have served as a sneak peek into his potential legal defense. "I didn't know the guy," he claimed Monday, implying Coomer came after him, and "this is very, very organized." He also portrayed the defamation trial as a crusade for secure elections and parroted some of his discredited talking points about electronic voting machines.
However, what Lindell says in public is a far cry from what happens in court. Noteably, Lindell's attorneys told the jury that they will not try to prove the election lies during the trial. "All Mike Lindell did was talk," Lindell's lawyer, Chris Kachouroff, reportedly told the jury. "Mike believed that he was telling the truth," the lawyer added, stating, "It doesn't have to be true."
Lindell has garnered support from some high-profile MAGA media figures like Steve Bannon. During a recent podcast interview with Bannon, Lindell exploited the opportunity to sell his pillows while justifying his defense expenses. The eternal Trump supporter remains the president's staunchest ally. At a recent CPAC event, Trump lamented the FBI's seizure of Lindell's phone during an investigation, praising him for his unwavering belief: "Now it’s OK to say it, Mike!"
- In the Colorado federal court, Mike Lindell's trial for defamation, stemming from his election-related falsehoods, has reached a jury, with Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems executive, expected to testify.
- Coomer's legal victory against Lindell, if successful, could potentially compel partisan talk show hosts to exercise caution in sowing doubt during future elections, given the damaging real-world consequences of similar falsehoods.
- Smartmatic, another voting tech company, is also suing Lindell for defamation, alleging that he strategically incorporated product promotions into his defamation campaign, highlighting the intersection of politics, social-media, entertainment, general-news, crime-and-justice, and business.
