MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell Is Already In Trouble With The Judge As His Trial Begins
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Tuesday violated court orders not to discuss proceedings amid his defamation trial, prompting the judge to warn him against further violations.
Former Dominion Voting Systems employee Dr. Eric Coomer is suing Lindell, a vocal ally of President Donald Trump, for defamation over Lindell's baseless 2020 election conspiracies. Attorneys for Coomer informed the judge that Lindell appeared on Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast on Tuesday and that posts from his X account were being published as court was in session, violating court orders, according to a June 3 court document obtained by HuffPost.
They also cited a Substack article from The Bulwark's Will Sommer titled 'Mike Lindell is Texting Me From His Defamation Trial' and an on-air interview with LindellTV, his media outlet.
Coomer's attorneys argued in the court document that the moves were in violation of a May court order that prohibits 'photographs, audio, or video recordings...including, but not limited to, the courtroom or the hallway outside of the courtroom.'
According to the document, the order stated that 'this Rule extends to any live blogging, tweeting, transcribing, transmitting, or any other type of real-time communication and/or reporting about these proceedings.'
Likewise, Coomer's attorneys cited a verbal order on Monday in which the court prohibits 'disclosure of trial testimony to witnesses who are excluded from the courtroom; and prohibit excluded witnesses from accessing trial testimony.'
District Court Judge Nina Wang verbally reprimanded Lindell, cautioning him against making any other public remarks.
'I am concerned not only about the tainting of potential witnesses, but I'm concerned about preserving a fair and unbiased jury,' Wang said, according to KUSA.
According to the outlet, Lindell's team assured the judge that he wouldn't take any more interviews during the trial or live tweet as it happens.
'I will have my phone off in court,' Lindell reportedly told the judge.
'That would be a great idea,' Wang responded.
Lindell's team at LindellTV claimed that it runs the account.
Lindell's X account contains numerous posts published during the court's hours, many of them asking for donations or claiming that the trial is 'the Trial of the Century.' Some of the posts also frame him as a target of Dominion, making him some kind of martyr for election integrity and a fighter for freedom of speech.
Bannon, who served as the chief strategist for Trump's first administration for seven months before he was fired, virtually interviewed Lindell as he stood outside the courthouse. Lindell told Bannon the judge seemed 'fair' and that the jury seemed 'amazing.'
'I believe it's going to be the gateway where the dominoes fall and we get to paper ballots hand counted,' Lindell added.
'Everybody should want secure elections,' Lindell also told Bannon. 'I would never give up.'
The relentless salesman also pitched his pillows while on Bannon's podcast.
The trial began Monday in Denver federal court with jury selection and is expected to conclude on or around June 10. It represents a moment in which Lindell could be forced to take accountability for his 2020 election conspiracies.
'All Mike Lindell did was talk,' Lindell's lawyer, Chris Kachouroff, reportedly told the jury.
'Mike believed that he was telling the truth,' Kachouroff added. 'It doesn't have to be true.'
Dominion filed numerous lawsuits over election lies. They won one against Fox News in 2023.
Smartmatic, another election tech company, is also suing Lindell for defamation.
MyPillow CEO's Lawyer Embarrassed In Court After Judge Grills Him Over Using AI In Legal Filing
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