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Dominion Voting Systems on Monday filed a defamation lawsuit against Mike Lindell, chief executive of MyPillow, arguing that Lindell has refused to stop repeating false claims that the company’s voting machines were manipulated to rig the 2020 election against then-President Donald Trump.
Dominion is seeking more than $1.3 billion from Lindell, a staunch Trump supporter. The company says Lindell contributed to a “viral disinformation campaign” about Dominion on social media, in broadcast interviews, at public pro-Trump rallies and in a two-hour documentary about election fraud - entitled “Absolute Proof” - that he created and paid to air on One America News.
The 115-page complaint, filed in federal court in the District, alleges that Lindell, a “talented salesman,” used falsehoods about Dominion to promote MyPillow to fellow Trump supporters. It names both Lindell and his company as defendants and outlines several instances in which Lindell used appearances on conservative media to hawk his products.
On Jan. 16, for example, Lindell claimed without evidence that Dominion machines were “built to cheat” in an interview on Right Side Broadcasting Network. According to the complaint, the host then urged “everyone watching right now to go to MyPillow.com” and offered a code for 66 percent off. “We have 110 products now,” Lindell said, repeating the promotional code for a discount.
In another Lindell media appearance on Feb. 4, the host of the Victory Channel show “FlashPoint” urged viewers to support Lindell by buying from MyPillow. “We’ve got to support patriots, folks,” said the host, Gene Bailey. “I don’t care if you don’t need a pillow. Go order one and give it to somebody else. But we’ve got to support each other because this is the life and death of America.”
Dominion sent multiple letters to Lindell, warning that he was putting himself in legal jeopardy by spreading lies about the company.
“Despite having been specifically directed to the evidence and sources disproving the Big Lie, Lindell knowingly lied about Dominion to sell more pillows to people who continued tuning in to hear what they wanted to hear about the election,” the complaint says.
Reached by phone Monday morning, Lindell said he was “very happy to hear” that Dominion has sued him.
“Now I can get to the evidence faster. It’s going to be amazing,” he said. He added that he plans to continue releasing “more movies, more documentaries” about alleged election fraud.
He scoffed at the notion that he had tried to use his election-fraud claims to market pillows, saying that his efforts have in fact harmed his business. “I’ve lost 22 retailers. It has hit me financially like crazy,” he said.
The lawsuit against Lindell is the latest salvo in Dominion’s legal battle to recover its reputation, which it says has been badly damaged by election-fraud falsehoods that were endorsed by Trump and amplified in conservative media.
The company has already sued Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, and has sent retraction demands or preservation notices - often precursors to litigation - to dozens of individuals and businesses.