MyPillow CEO faces defamation trial over 2020 presidential election rigging claims
Mike Lindell’s defamation trial over election claims against Dominion Voting Systems starts Monday in Denver.
DENVER — MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell goes on trial Monday in Denver federal court, facing defamation charges for claiming that a Colorado-based voting system company and one of its employees rigged the 2020 presidential election.
Eric Coomer, a former executive with Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, sued Lindell for defamation in 2022.
Lindell and his FrankSpeech TV are accused of amplifying a story first told by Douglas County conservative activist Joe Oltmann on his Conservative Daily podcast on Nov. 9, 2020, six days after the election.
Oltmann claimed to have been on an Antifa call about the 2020 election.
“Someone else interrupts, ‘who’s Eric?’ Someone else enters, ‘Eric is the Dominion guy,’” Oltmann said on his Nov. 9, 2020, episode.
That story was also shared by other conservative outlets both inside and outside Colorado.
“Eric Coomer did this directly to me. And I made one statement about him. Didn’t say nothing about him for a whole year, and then you guys come out and serve me papers in Colorado,” Lindell said in a 2023 deposition.
Coomer’s legal team alleges that Lindell, FrankSpeech and My Pillow generated at least $2.2 million in profits from promotional codes connected to the defamatory election rigging claims. MyPillow was discussed during the 2023 deposition.
“How dare he come and sue MyPillow. He’s a scumbag for doing that. Put that in there, scumbag S-key-um-bag,” Lindell said.
The trial beings on Monday with jury selection.
Federal Judge Nina Wang will question jurors on as many as 40 scripted questions, including:
- Did any of you or any close family member work or volunteer for any candidate or organization in conjunction with the 2020 presidential election?
- Did any of you or any close family member make any donation to, or cause a donation to be made to, any candidate or organization in conjunction with the 2020 presidential election?
- Have any of you purchased MyPillow products in the past?
- Anything about that experience that would prevent you from being fair and impartial in this case?
- Does anyone believe that a person has a right to say anything they want in public?
- Do any of you have an issue with compensating someone for an injury you cannot see by looking at them?
A jury of eight will be selected. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.
Opening statements are anticipated on Monday, followed by Coomer taking the stand on Monday afternoon.
Lindell is expected on the stand later in the week.
