Latest news with #Coomer
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Lindell Says ‘Satan' Rigged Voting Machines in 2020
Mike Lindell has accused 'Satan' of rigging the 2020 election against President Donald Trump. The MyPillow CEO revealed who he thinks was behind the 'computer algorithm' that was 'controlling' the 2020 election during a press conference outside the Denver courthouse Monday. 'When people ask me that, you've never heard me over the last four years bashing the Democrats,' Lindell said. 'The people that did this to our country, I believe it's four: it's the uniparty, the Deep State, Globalists, and the CCP.' The man the president has dubbed 'THE Pillow Guy' is one of the most outspoken proponents of the conspiracy that the 2020 election was rigged against Trump, spreading the lie that the president actually won the election four years ago. 'We're in a battle of biblical proportions, of evil and good. This isn't a party thing. This is a thing for our country and our world,' Lindell claimed. 'And when you say who's behind it all? Satan, there's one,' he added. 'You know, this is a nation that turned its back on God.' The CEO claimed that the issue about who has access to these 'computer algorithms' that oversee elections is 'much bigger than all of us,' and that whatever happens next is 'up to God.' Lindell has been an outspoken advocate of returning to paper ballots, and reiterated this belief on Monday by blaming computers for being too 'vulnerable' and having 'too many backdoors.' 'By the way everybody, this is local levels too,' he added. 'This is school board elections, this is anything done with computer.' The MAGA loyalist is currently undergoing a defamation trial—which he has dubbed 'the trial of the century'—stemming from a 2022 lawsuit filed by Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. The trial began Monday. Coomer alleged that Lindell targeted him in his attack against Dominion, which produces voting machines and election software, the CEO claiming that 'Eric, the Dominion guy,' rigged the election in favor of Biden in an 'Antifa conference call.' Lindell told Rolling Stone in an article published Monday that he is testifying to 'help save our country,' declaring: 'I want these machines gone!' Lindell is also in an ongoing legal battle with voting systems company Smartmatic after they sued him for defamation in 2022. 'We will not stop until we have paper ballots counted and we're going to melt down all the voting machines and turn them into prison bars,' Lindell told ABC News in March after being found in contempt by the court for not handing over evidence in the Smartmatic defamation case. In 2020, Coomer filed a defamation suit against the right-wing media outlet Newsmax for spreading election lies and blaming Dominion, as well as Coomer, of manipulating the results. The two parties reached a settlement after Newsmax admitted that it 'subsequently found no evidence that such allegations were true,' a move Lindell claimed greatly hurt his company. 'Eric Coomer's settlement with Newsmax has cost MyPillow in sales over $20 million dollars because Newsmax will never have me on to talk about MyPillow products anymore!' the 'pillow guy' whined to Rolling Stone, asking 'what did I ever do to him?' Dominion has already won a $787 million lawsuit two years ago against Fox News for promoting lies after the 2020 election. Susman Godfrey, the firm that represented Dominion, is also in an ongoing suit against a Trump executive order that barred the firm from federal contracts held by its clients, banned employees from federal buildings, and removed their security clearances.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A key figure in Trump's conspiracy coalition goes on trial
Whenever President Trump sees his ally Mike Lindell, Trump pours on the praise. A 'patriot.' A 'brave guy.' The 'single greatest advertiser in history.' Right now, though, Lindell is something else: A defendant. The CEO of MyPillow, who built his business through incessant commercials and devotion to Trump, is on trial in Colorado over his tirades about the 2020 election. Opening statements happened Tuesday morning in a case brought by Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems executive who sued Lindell for defamation in 2022. Coomer told CNN he was forced into hiding when bogus conspiracy theories about Dominion rigging the 2020 election against Trump led to a deluge of death threats. He later charged in the lawsuit that Lindell and MyPillow were 'among the most prolific vectors' of the lies and said the rhetorical campaign had 'devastating' real-world consequences. Dominion famously prevailed in a similar defamation lawsuit against Fox News in 2023 when Fox agreed to pay the company $787.5 million. Dominion has numerous other lawsuits still pending. Coomer also settled one of his other suits, this one against the far-right network One America News, in 2023. But Coomer's case against Lindell has reached a jury, and he is expected to take the stand as soon as Tuesday afternoon. For plaintiffs like Coomer, one of the hopes is that legal victories could cause partisan talking heads to think twice before sowing doubt about future elections. Lindell, forever a showman, has repositioned himself as a free speech warrior amid widespread condemnation of his lies about the 2020 election. The pillow businessman recently claimed that 'I'm in ruins' as a result of the numerous lawsuits stemming from his election-related claims. Both Dominion and another voting tech company, Smartmatic, are actively suing Lindell for defamation. Smartmatic alleges that Lindell 'generated profits for his company by skillfully incorporating product promotions to his defamation campaign.' In March, a federal judge in Minnesota found that Lindell was in contempt of court because Lindell had failed to turn over required documents in the Smartmatic case. Lindell has attempted to turn the current Colorado trial into both a media circus and a fundraising opportunity. His obscure online video network, appropriately named LindellTV, has portrayed him as a martyr and promoted his pillows simultaneously. Host Emerald Robinson — a well-known conspiracy theorist like her boss — has called the case 'the most important trial in the history of American elections.' Lindell's running online commentary has doubled as a potential preview of his legal defense. 'I didn't know the guy,' Lindell said Monday, apparently referring to Coomer, claiming 'he came after me' and 'this is very, very organized.' Lindell also recast the defamation trial as a crusade for 'secure elections' and repeated some of his discredited talking points about electronic voting machines. But what he says on the courthouse steps is one thing; what is said in court is another. Notably, Lindell's attorneys said Tuesday that they won't try to prove his election lies during the trial. 'All Mike Lindell did was talk,' Lindell's lawyer, Chris Kachouroff, reportedly told the jury. 'Mike believed that he was telling the truth,' the lawyer added. 'It doesn't have to be true.' Lindell has received support from some high-profile MAGA media figures, including Steve Bannon, who interviewed Lindell on the 'War Room' podcast Tuesday morning. Bannon gave Lindell time to 'sell us a pillow and some sheets,' and the veteran salesman obliged, telling viewers that MyPillow sales revenues are underwriting his defense. Lindell's number one supporter remains the president. When both men spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, Trump lamented the 'FBI thugs' who seized Lindell's phone during an investigation in 2022. 'I want to thank you on behalf of everybody, Mike, you put up with a tremendous amount,' Trump said. 'He never changed his mind. He said that election of 2020 was rigged and he's more of a believer today than he was even four years ago. But now it's OK to say it, Mike! Now it's fine.' Lindell is a key member of Trump's conspiracy coalition — a group of MAGA media personalities and their legions of followers who embrace and promote various politically charged theories that bear little if any connection to reality. A wild new example emerged last weekend: Trump's amplification of a Truth Social post imagining that former president Joe Biden was actually a robot clone when he was in office between 2021 and 2024. On CNN's 'NewsNight,' anchor Abby Phillip pointed out that 'for two months, all the attention's been on the mental acuity of the previous president,' meaning Biden. 'And while the scrutiny is justified, what about the current president? After all, he's pushing a batshit conspiracy theory that Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced with a clone robot.' The Bulwark editor-at-large Bill Kristol reacted by saying, 'Trump doesn't believe it,' but he knows many of his supporters 'love conspiracy theories,' and 'the conspiracists are a big part of the Trump administration.' In other words, Trump's repost was appealing to that conspiracy coalition — a group that is both entertained and motivated by his theories. While Trump-promoting outlets like Fox News laughed off the Trump repost, some media critics said it should be taken seriously. It is evidence of 'Trump's disordered mental state,' Stephen Robinson wrote for Public Notice on Tuesday morning. Avery Lotz wrote for Axios that Trump mixes 'wild conspiracies with market-moving policies' in his feed on Truth Social. Lotz concluded, 'With no fact-checks or consequences for falsehoods, Trump can be, as he's shared multiple posts saying, 'right about everything.''
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Somerset deputies arrest man accused of getting into car with backpack holding drugs
SOMERSET, Ky. (FOX 56) — A drug investigation on Thursday led to a Somerset man being accused of having a backpack that contained methamphetamine, marijuana, and pills during a search on Tuesday. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, it all started with the Narcotics Division on Tuesday, April 28, at a local Red Roof Inn. Somerset deputies arrest man accused of getting into car with backpack holding drugs 1 charged in connection with Franklin County house fire that killed 2 teens Having stake in the race: How to bet on the Kentucky Derby Investigators said multiple people went in and out of the building throughout the morning before Robert Glen Coomer, 41, of Somerset, walked out of a room with a backpack and got into the passenger door of a car before heading onto Highway 914. Authorities following Coomer noted the vehicle he was a passenger in had a 'verify proof' status for its insurance. Detectives saw that the vehicle was going faster than the posted speed limit, so they pulled it over. Court documents show that deputies asked the driver to search the vehicle, which the driver consented to. Law enforcement found a backpack that allegedly belonged to Coomer, holding 107.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, a hydrocodone tablet, digital scales, baggies, and a glass smoking pipe. He allegedly had $463 in his front pocket. Coomer was arrested and charged with: Trafficking in greater than or equal to 2 grams of methamphetamine Possession of drug paraphernalia Possession of marijuana Possession of an unspecified controlled substance He was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond. Lexington eatery makes OpenTable's 'Top 100 Brunch Restaurants' in the US Study: Kentucky is the toughest state to own an EV in Study: It costs over $200K to raise a child over 18 years in Kentucky The drug investigation remains ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Mercury
30-04-2025
- Business
- Mercury
Hobart house prices 2.5pc higher than last year
To buy a typical Hobart house, buyers need a little more bang in their budget than they did last year. PropTrack's April Home Price Index, released Thursday, shows a median value house will cost purchasers $715,000 — that's a 2.58 per cent annual increase. The story is the same in regional areas, where house values have grown by 2.6 per cent year-on-year to a median of $550,000. In the units sector, the capital and regional markets increased by a dash — 0.08 per cent in Hobart and 0.18 per cent in the rest of the state. This brought the median unit prices to $560,000 in the city and $420,000 throughout Tassie. REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty said the next RBA interest rate announcement could have a positive effect on the property market. 'Should interest rates fall in May, we may see the rate of growth pick up again as borrowing capacities increase and mortgage repayments decline,' Ms Flaherty said. MORE: Historic Salamanca building seeks multimillion-dollar sale Carpet Austin Powers would love in an enviable location with views 'Adorable': Cornelian Bay's only boatshed for sale Peterswald director Harry Coomer said the Hobart market had been 'strong' over the past three months at a transactional level. Mr Coomer said, at his agency, February and March sales results were their highest on record. 'You will see very good results and not as good results in any market, but it is life events that keep the property market ticking over,' he said. 'The Hobart market has been consistent this year, and I would expect it will stay that way.' In the current market, Mr Coomer said buyers have the luxury of time to make their decisions. 'The average time on market is about 30 days, which means the volume of property available to buy is higher,' he said. 'This gives buyers more options.' However, Mr Coomer said when everything lines up perfectly, buyers make decisions 'incredibly quickly'. 'If a home is perfect for someone's needs, a sale can come together fast,' he said. 'Some people will see a property at its first open home and make their decision that same day. 'These types of buyers know what they are chasing, and we see them act quickly.' Another key factor in the market's movement will be this weekend's Federal Election. Mrs Flaherty said with housing affordability a key issue at the upcoming federal election, Labor and the Coalition have announced policy incentives for first-home buyers. 'Many of these buyers may be biding their time to get into the market after the election and the launch of these policies,' she said. 'Whichever party is elected, the combination of increased first homebuyer incentives, lower interest rates, and supply-side challenges are expected to contribute to even higher property prices in 2025.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed Kentucky legislation aims to simplify expungement process, offering second chances
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — The expungement process can be daunting even for eligible Kentuckians. This is why a proposed legislation would increase access to expungement. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Selena Coomer, an empathy network leader, is about to celebrate 17 years sober, and she previously went through the process of getting an expungement. 'It baffled me why I had to jump through all the hoops and cross the T's and dot the I's to get the expungement after I had already done so much work to get my life together,' said Coomer. Right now, there are more than 575,000 Kentuckians with past criminal records. 'So if this law were to pass and we automated the process for over 500,000 people, they could get better jobs to provide for their families, pay taxes, and contribute to their community,' Coomer added. Kentucky does already have an expungement law. Read more of the latest news in politics A person would have to wait five years after their sentence, pay fines or fees, and complete probation. Then, they're eligible to ask the court for an expungement. But the Kentucky Clean Slate Legislation would change that process. 'There would be a system that would just automate that process,' said Coomer. 'That person's name would pop up, and it would just automate that process.' That would also include eliminating fees and relieving people from having to request and pay for expungement. Coomer also said it would eliminate an issue of miscommunication. Proposed Kentucky legislation aims to simplify expungement process, offering second chances Check your ticket! $50,000 Powerball ticket sold in Nicholasville Livingston family picks up the pieces after home is destroyed in tornado 'If you just google, 'How do I get an expungement?' You can come up with 30 different things and you have to apply for an expungement certificate with Kentucky State Police,' added Coomer. 'And there are different websites that are fake websites that are preying on people like me who need help.' On Feb. 20, Coomer and other community leaders are hosting a Day of Empathy in the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda to advocate for this bill. 'I think now is a great time for Kentucky to have a second chance,' Coomer said. 'And I think it would be wonderful for our workforce and our families and our communities.' More information about the bill can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
