Opening statements statesman successful Mike Lindell's latest defamation suit
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is utilizing his defamation proceedings implicit statements helium made astir a erstwhile Dominion Voting Systems authoritative to boost income of his pillows, linens and different products, arsenic good arsenic to rise wealth for his ineligible defense.
On June 4, Lindell wrote connected societal media that "My employee-owned institution and I are successful assemblage proceedings NOW and request your support!" He included a nexus to a landing leafage connected his company's website that includes the line, "Use promo codification JURY" to person a "free Multi-Use MyPillow 2.0" with immoderate purchase.
The website besides includes a nexus to "Mike Lindell Legal Defense Fund," which asks for donations of betwixt $10 to $1,000. The fundraising effort notes that Lindell has spent "nearly each his resources ... to exposing corruption successful our predetermination systems."
MyPillow didn't instantly respond to a petition for comment.
The income and fundraising efforts travel aft Lindell told CBS MoneyWatch successful 2023 that helium had $10,000 to his name aft spending millions of his ain funds connected proving his predetermination theories. The businessman besides said helium had mislaid astir $7 cardinal aft Walmart and different big-box stores dropped his enactment of bedding.
"I urgently request your fiscal enactment to screen the monolithic expenses" of the trial, Lindell said successful a video posted to the ineligible defence site.
On Monday, Lindell took the basal successful the defamation trial, which is being held astatine a national courthouse successful Denver and expected to proceed this week. He denied making immoderate statements helium knew to beryllium mendacious astir Eric Coomer, the erstwhile Dominion enforcement who sued Lindell successful 2022 implicit his statements.
In his Monday testimony, Lindell besides reiterated his erstwhile claims that Coomer was "part of the biggest transgression this satellite has ever seen," portion helium painted himself arsenic the unfortunate of "lawfare," oregon erstwhile radical are sued to scare them into silence.
Asked by his lawyer what helium wants retired of the trial, Coomer said helium would similar an apology, compensation and "a accidental of rehabilitating my nationalist image."
Lindell's efforts to support his predetermination theories "cost my institution everything," the MyPillow CEO told the jury. "Was I expected to conscionable locomotion away? No, I'm consenting to get everything and suffer it each to prevention our country."
Several blimpish quality organizations, including Fox News, Newsmax and One America News, person settled defamation lawsuits from voting instrumentality companies implicit allegations that they promoted falsehoods astir the 2020 statesmanlike election. Fox News agreed to wage almost $800 million successful its colony with Dominion.
In April, a justice ruled that Newsmax made defamatory statements astir Dominion Voting related to the quality channel's claims the voting instrumentality institution had rigged votes successful the 2020 statesmanlike election, and said the lawsuit could proceed to trial, according to the New York Times. In 2021, Newsmax besides apologized to Coomer for airing mendacious allegations against him.
MyPillow's business
In 2023, MyPillow auctioned off much than 700 pieces of institution equipment, ranging from forklifts to bureau desks and cubicles, aft it mislaid millions successful gross erstwhile large retailers halted income of its products. Lindell told CBS astatine the clip that helium blamed "cancel culture" for the gross slump.
During his testimony, Lindell noted that helium erstwhile had a nett worthy of $60 million, but is present millions of dollars successful debt, prompting him to crook to crowdfunding to rise wealth for his ineligible costs. He besides noted that MyPillow had liquidated inventory "because we had nary wealth left."
Lindell added that his fundraising efforts person generated astir $362,000 truthful far.
Lindell's debunked predetermination theories person caused him further fiscal problems. In 2021, helium had offered to wage $5 cardinal to anyone who could beryllium machine information helium had acquired wasn't, successful fact, 2020 predetermination data.
But aft a machine adept proved the information was bogus, Lindell refused to grant the challenge, starring to an arbitration panel ordering him to wage up the $5 million.
—CBS News subordinate shaper Cesareo Sifuentes-Roacho contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Aimee Picchi is the subordinate managing exertion for CBS MoneyWatch, wherever she covers concern and idiosyncratic finance. She antecedently worked astatine Bloomberg News and has written for nationalist quality outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
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