On Monday, a federal jury in Colorado delivered a verdict against Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a prominent figure in election conspiracy theories, for defamation of Eric Coomer, a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems. Coomer's lawsuit stemmed from Lindell's accusations that he was a traitor and involved in stealing the election, which were disseminated via Lindell's online media platform.
As the security and product strategy director at Dominion, Coomer faced numerous conspiracy theories regarding the company’s voting machines, particularly from supporters of former President Trump. Dominion has already secured a significant settlement in a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for similar claims, and has ongoing litigation against Newsmax, which has since apologized to Coomer for earlier allegations.
Throughout the trial, which lasted two weeks, Coomer described the impact of Lindell's statements on his life and career, indicating that they had been destroyed by the fallout. His legal team argued that Lindell either knew his claims were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Conversely, Lindell's defense insisted that his platform is not liable for the statements made by others, maintaining that his comments came from a place of concern about voting machines.
Lindell also expressed his intention to highlight issues with electronic voting systems during the trial. He mentioned a significant decline in his wealth due to his outspoken views on the 2020 election and indicated that his financial situation had worsened to a debt of $10 million.
In a controversial move, he used his trial to promote his products, encouraging followers to support him through purchases and donations to his legal defense fund, which he claimed was necessary due to his pursuit of electoral transparency. Throughout the trial, Lindell reiterated his false claims about election fraud, failing to provide expert witnesses to substantiate his beliefs.
His allegations were fueled by various sources, including questionable documentaries and claims made by Trump's former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, regarding foreign influence on elections. Lindell also distanced himself from specific conspiracy narratives, including a questionable account from a Colorado podcaster.
Despite his defenses, Coomer argued that the damage from the conspiracy theories was profound, contributing to a loss of employment and severely affecting his mental health. He expressed particular distress over claims Lindell made about him being involved in treasonous acts regarding the election.
Lindell's attorneys countered that by the time Lindell mentioned Coomer, his reputation had already suffered damage from other sources, including Coomer’s own controversial social media posts that he later admitted were extreme.
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