Why is Mike Lindell in court? MyPillow CEO on trial for defamation lawsuit
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is in the spotlight this week, and not for his sleeping product, but rather for being at the forefront of a defamation court hearing.
Eric Coomer, a former director at Dominion Voting Systems, filed a federal lawsuit in the District of Colorado alleging that Lindell and his multiple media and business entities, specifically Frankspeech LLC and My Pillow, Inc., made “baseless conspiracy theories claiming election fraud in the 2020 election.”
According to the lawsuit reviewed and obtained by USA TODAY, Coomer alleges that Lindell played a role in spreading a conspiracy theory that he rigged the election against President Donald Trump, someone whom the businessman has openly supported.
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USA TODAY contacted Lindell on Thursday, June 5, but has not received a response. The 63-year-old 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.
Lindell said in a separate Facebook post on June 4: “MyPillow has been attacked for the last 4 years and now is in federal court in one of the most important cases ever!”
Here’s what to know about the trial, which began on June 2 in Colorado.
Why is Mike Lindell being sued?
Coomer is suing Lindell for defamation, alleging the MyPillow CEO aligned himself with podcaster Joseph Oltmann to spread a conspiracy theory that he was involved in rigging voting systems during the 2020 presidential election.
According to the lawsuit, 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.
The lawsuit alleges that Lindell amplified the claim online, causing threats against Coomer, whom Oltmann later identified as the anonymous “Eric.”
“All aspects of (Coomer’s) life have been altered in response to (Lindell’s) conduct, including things as basic as where to live, how to go out in public, and when to see family and friends,” the lawsuit says.
What has Mike Lindell said about the lawsuit?
At a news conference outside of the Denver courthouse on June 2, Lindell called the ongoing trial “the most frivolous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
In response to whether he defamed Coomer, Lindell said, “No, I didn’t know Eric Coomer.”
“I didn’t know the guy, and he came after me,” Lindell added.
Lindell has been publicly soliciting donations for his legal fund, saying he has “spent everything he has” on legal fees.
The MyPillow founder has faced a slew of legal actions in recent years, including an ongoing defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems.
What could happen in the Mike Lindell lawsuit?
Coomer’s lawsuit against Lindell was initially filed in 2022, and the trial began on June 2.
The case made headlines earlier this year when the judge accused Lindell’s lawyers of using artificial intelligence for a legal filing. Lindell’s team pushed to move the trial back because of the incident, but it began as originally planned.
A jury was seated in the trial on June 2, and opening arguments began the following day, court records show.
Lindell told Rolling Stone he plans to take the stand in the case, with CNN and The Minnesota Star Tribune reporting the same.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Mike Lindell in court? MyPillow CEO on trial for defamation lawsuit
