Latest news with #KillChain
Boston Globe
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Jury finds MyPillow founder defamed former employee for Dominion voting company
Advertisement Lindell said he would appeal the financial award, saying Coomer's lawyers did not prove Coomer had been harmed. He also said he would continue to speak out about election security, including criticizing the makers of election equipment like Dominion. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I will not stop talking until we don't have voting machines in this country,' said Lindell, who backs paper ballots counted by hand. Lindell stuck by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen during the trial, but did not call any experts to present evidence of his claims. Cain faulted Lindell for being 'all hat and no cattle.' Even though the damage award was smaller than he had asked for, Cain said he thought it would still send a message that people who work behind the scenes of elections should not be attacked. But he said Coomer, who has recevied death threats, is 'still going to be looking over his shoulder.' Advertisement Dominion's voting machines became the target of elaborate conspiracy theories among allies of President Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim that his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 was due to widespread fraud. Dominion won a $787 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit it filed against Fox News over its airing of false claims against the company and has another lawsuit against the conservative network Newsmax. Newsmax apologized to Coomer in 2021 for airing false allegations against him. Coomer said during the two-week Lindell trial that his career and life were destroyed by the statements. His lawyers said Lindell either knew the statements were lies, or conveyed them recklessly without knowing if they were true. Lindell's lawyers denied the claims and said Frankspeech was not liable for statements made by others. The jury found that eight other statements made by Lindell and others appearing on Frankspeech were not. Lindell said he went to trial to draw attention to the need to get rid of electronic voting machines that have been targeted in a web of conspiracy theories. He said he used to be worth about $60 million before he started speaking out about the 2020 election and is now $10 million in debt. Reviews, recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss in 2020 all affirmed Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Trump's attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud, and Trump and his allies lost dozens of court cases seeking to overturn the result. Advertisement Lindell said his beliefs that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud were influenced by watching the 2020 HBO documentary 'Kill Chain' and by the views of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In an interview for a documentary Lindell made in 2021, Flynn said foreign interference was going to happen in U.S. elections, and Lindell said he had no reason to doubt the claim since Flynn had worked for both political parties in intelligence. Lindell distanced himself from an account by a Colorado podcaster who claimed to have heard a conference call from the anti-fascist group Antifa before the 2020 election. The podcaster claimed that on the call someone named Eric from Dominion said he would make sure that Trump would not win, a story that was recounted on Frankspeech during a 2021 event. Lindell said he only learned about that during the trial. Lindell said he never accused Coomer of rigging the election, but he did say he was upset because he said Newsmax blocked him from being able to go on air to talk about voting machines after it apologized to Coomer. Coomer denied there was any such deal to block Lindell under his agreement with the network. Coomer's lawyers tried to show how their client's life was devastated by the conspiracy theories spreading about him. Lindell was comparatively late to seize on Coomer, not mentioning him until February 2021, well after his name had been circulated by other Trump partisans. Coomer said the conspiracy theories cost him his job, his mental health and the life he'd built and said Lindell's statements were the most distressing of all. He specifically pointed to a statement on May 9, 2021, when Lindell described what he believed Coomer had done as 'treason.' Advertisement Lindell's attorneys argued that Coomer's reputation was already in tatters by the time Lindell mentioned him. They said that was partly because of Coomer's own Facebook posts disparaging Trump, which the former Dominion employee acknowledged were 'hyperbolic' and had been a mistake. Lindell denied making any statements he knew to be false about Coomer and testified that he has called many people traitors. His lawyers argued the statements were about a matter of public concern — elections — and therefore protected by the First Amendment. But Coomer's lawyers said the statements crossed the line into defamation because Lindell accused Coomer of treason, a crime.
Int'l Business Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Mike Lindell Ordered To Pay $2.3 Million For Defaming Ex-Dominion Exec Eric Coomer
A federal jury in Colorado found that Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a prominent election conspiracy theorist, defamed Eric Coomer, a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems, after the 2020 presidential election and ordered him to pay $2.3 million in damages, according to Reuters. Coomer had initially sought $62.7 million in damages, but the jury awarded a lower amount. The verdict stems from a lawsuit filed by Coomer, who claimed that Lindell's false statements ruined his ability to work in the elections industry and destroyed his career and life. Lindell had called Coomer a "traitor" and accused him of "treason" in statements made in May 2021, as reported by CBS News. Coomer's lawsuit alleged that Lindell's false statements subjected him to frequent death threats, and his lawyers argued that their client's life was devastated by the conspiracy theories spreading about him. Coomer was the security and product strategy director at Dominion Voting Systems, a Denver-based company whose voting machines became the target of conspiracy theories among allies of former President Donald Trump. Following the verdict, Lindell expressed his intention to appeal the judgment, claiming that Coomer's lawyers did not prove that Coomer had been harmed. "This is a huge victory for our country," said Lindell, according to Reuters. He also noted that the jury's finding that MyPillow, his company, was not liable was a positive outcome. Lindell, a steadfast supporter of Trump, was among many of his allies who advanced unfounded claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Reviews, recounts, and audits in battleground states affirmed Biden's victory, and Trump's attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud. During the trial, Lindell stood by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen but did not call any experts to present evidence of his claims, as reported by ABC News. He stated that his beliefs were influenced by watching the 2020 HBO documentary "Kill Chain" and by the views of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Lindell said he had no reason to doubt Flynn's claims since Flynn had worked for both political parties in intelligence. Coomer's lawyers argued that Lindell either knew the statements were lies or conveyed them recklessly without knowing if they were true. They contended that Lindell's statements crossed the line into defamation and that he targeted Coomer in particular. "This is hurting democracy. This is misinformation. It's not been vetted and it needs to stop," said Charles Cain, one of Coomer's attorneys, according to ABC News. Coomer testified that the conspiracy theories cost him his job, his mental health, and the life he'd built. He said that Lindell's statements were the most distressing of all. Despite the jury awarding less than the amount sought, Cain said his client was "thrilled" with the verdict, as reported by The Daily Beast. He added that the verdict serves as a deterrence for individuals working on elections from being targeted. Lindell's online media platform, formerly known as FrankSpeech, broadcast claims about Coomer that his lawyers argued were defamatory. Lindell's attorneys denied liability for statements made by others, as reported by CBS News. The jury found that eight other statements made by Lindell and others appearing on his platform were not defamatory. Lindell maintained that he would continue to speak out about election security, including criticizing the makers of election equipment like Dominion. He said the lawsuit was meant to suppress his voice and that he would not stop fighting the use of electronic voting machines in U.S. elections. Dominion Voting Systems has filed separate defamation lawsuits against several Trump allies, including Lindell. The company's lawsuit against him is proceeding in a Washington D.C. federal court. Dominion has won large settlements after suing Trump allies for defamation, including a $787 million settlement in a lawsuit against Fox News over the network's airing of false claims against the company. Lindell stated that he used to be worth about $60 million before he started speaking out about the 2020 election and is now $10 million in debt, according to The Daily Beast. He also said his financial troubles were partly due to right-wing cable network Newsmax's 2021 settlement with Coomer. Lindell told Rolling Stone, "The settlement has cost MyPillow in sales over $20 million because Newsmax will never have me on to talk about MyPillow products anymore!" Coomer denied that there was any agreement to block Lindell under his settlement with Newsmax. In 2021, Newsmax apologized to Coomer for airing false allegations against him. Coomer acknowledged that his Facebook posts disparaging Trump were "hyperbolic" and had been a mistake, as reported by CBS News. Lindell's attorneys argued that Coomer's reputation was already damaged before Lindell mentioned him, partly due to Coomer's own social media posts. Earlier this year, Lindell announced that two law firms defending him in his lawsuits with Dominion and Smartmatic had quit because he couldn't pay them. In February, a federal judge upheld an arbitration panel's determination that Lindell had to pay $5 million to a man who successfully disproved his claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, as reported by The Daily Beast. Coomer's attorneys argued that Lindell's false statements caused harm, subjecting him to threats and damaging his reputation. They said that Lindell's claims were made recklessly and without regard for the truth. The jury found that two of Lindell's statements about Coomer, including calling him a traitor and accusing him of stealing the election, were defamatory, as reported by CBS News. However, they found that eight other statements made by Lindell and others appearing on his online media platform were not defamatory. Lindell's attorneys argued that the statements were about a matter of public concern—elections—and therefore protected by the First Amendment. They contended that Coomer's reputation was already in tatters by the time Lindell mentioned him. Coomer said he hopes the verdict will send a message discouraging attacks on election workers. "Individuals who are singled out can get vindication in the courthouse," said Cain, according to The Daily Beast.
NBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Jury finds MyPillow founder defamed a former voting equipment firm employee
DENVER — A federal jury in Colorado on Monday found that one of the nation's most prominent election conspiracy theorists, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, defamed a former employee for a leading voting equipment company after the 2020 presidential election. The employee, Eric Coomer, sued after Lindell called him a traitor and accusations about him stealing the election were streamed on Lindell's online media platform. Coomer was the security and product strategy director at Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, whose voting machines became the target of elaborate conspiracy theories among allies of President Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim that his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 was due to widespread fraud. Dominion won a $787 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit it filed against Fox News over its airing of false claims against the company and has another lawsuit against the conservative network Newsmax. Newsmax apologized to Coomer in 2021 for airing false allegations against him. Coomer said during the two-week Lindell trial that his career and life were destroyed by the statements. His lawyers said Lindell either knew the statements were lies, or conveyed them recklessly without knowing if they were true. Lindell's lawyers denied the claims and said his online platform, formerly known as Frankspeech, is not liable for statements made by others. Lindell said he went to trial to draw attention to the need to get rid of electronic voting machines that have been targeted in a web of conspiracy theories. He said he used to be worth about $60 million before he started speaking out about the 2020 election and is now $10 million in debt. Reviews, recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss in 2020 all affirmed Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Trump's attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud, and Trump and his allies lost dozens of court cases seeking to overturn the result. Lindell stuck by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen during the trial, but did not call any experts to present evidence of his claims. Lindell said his beliefs that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud were influenced by watching the 2020 HBO documentary 'Kill Chain' and by the views of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In an interview for a documentary Lindell made in 2021, Flynn said foreign interference was going to happen in U.S. elections, and Lindell said he had no reason to doubt the claim since Flynn had worked for both political parties in intelligence. Lindell distanced himself from an account by a Colorado podcaster who claimed to have heard a conference call from the anti-fascist group Antifa before the 2020 election. The podcast claimed that on the call someone named Eric from Dominion said he would make sure that Trump would not win, a story that was recounted on Frankspeech during a 2021 event. Lindell said he only learned about that during the trial. Lindell said he never accused Coomer of rigging the election, but he did say he was upset because he said Newsmax blocked him from being able to go on air to talk about voting machines after it apologized to Coomer. Coomer denied there was any such deal to block Lindell under his agreement with the network. Coomer's lawyers tried to show how their client's life was devastated by the conspiracy theories spreading about him. Lindell was comparatively late to seize on Coomer, not mentioning him until February 2021, well after his name had been circulated by other Trump partisans. Coomer said the conspiracy theories cost him his job, his mental health and the life he'd built and said Lindell's statements were the most distressing of all. He specifically pointed to a statement on May 9, 2021, when Lindell described what he believed Coomer had done as 'treason.' Lindell's attorneys argued that Coomer's reputation was already in tatters by the time Lindell mentioned him. They said that was partly because of Coomer's own Facebook posts disparaging Trump, which the former Dominion employee acknowledged were 'hyperbolic' and had been a mistake.
Politico
16-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell loses defamation case
DENVER — A federal jury in Colorado on Monday found that one of the nation's most prominent election conspiracy theorists, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, defamed a former employee for a leading voting equipment company after the 2020 presidential election. The employee, Eric Coomer, was awarded $2.3 million in damages. He had sued after Lindell called him a traitor and accusations about him stealing the election were streamed on Lindell's online media platform. Coomer was the security and product strategy director at Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, whose voting machines became the target of elaborate conspiracy theories among allies of President Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim that his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 was due to widespread fraud. Dominion won a $787 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit it filed against Fox News over its airing of false claims against the company and has another lawsuit against the conservative network Newsmax. Newsmax apologized to Coomer in 2021 for airing false allegations against him. Coomer said during the two-week Lindell trial that his career and life were destroyed by the statements. His lawyers said Lindell either knew the statements were lies, or conveyed them recklessly without knowing if they were true. Lindell's lawyers denied the claims and said his online platform, formerly known as Frankspeech, is not liable for statements made by others. Lindell said he went to trial to draw attention to the need to get rid of electronic voting machines that have been targeted in a web of conspiracy theories. He said he used to be worth about $60 million before he started speaking out about the 2020 election and is now $10 million in debt. Reviews, recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss in 2020 all affirmed Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Trump's attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud, and Trump and his allies lost dozens of court cases seeking to overturn the result. Lindell stuck by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen during the trial, but did not call any experts to present evidence of his claims. Lindell said his beliefs that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud were influenced by watching the 2020 HBO documentary 'Kill Chain' and by the views of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In an interview for a documentary Lindell made in 2021, Flynn said foreign interference was going to happen in U.S. elections, and Lindell said he had no reason to doubt the claim since Flynn had worked for both political parties in intelligence. Lindell distanced himself from an account by a Colorado podcaster who claimed to have heard a conference call from the anti-fascist group Antifa before the 2020 election. The podcast claimed that on the call someone named Eric from Dominion said he would make sure that Trump would not win, a story that was recounted on Frankspeech during a 2021 event. Lindell said he only learned about that during the trial. Lindell said he never accused Coomer of rigging the election, but he did say he was upset because he said Newsmax blocked him from being able to go on air to talk about voting machines after it apologized to Coomer. Coomer denied there was any such deal to block Lindell under his agreement with the network. Coomer's lawyers tried to show how their client's life was devastated by the conspiracy theories spreading about him. Lindell was comparatively late to seize on Coomer, not mentioning him until February 2021, well after his name had been circulated by other Trump partisans. Coomer said the conspiracy theories cost him his job, his mental health and the life he'd built and said Lindell's statements were the most distressing of all. He specifically pointed to a statement May 9, 2021, when Lindell described what he believed Coomer had done as 'treason.'
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jury finds MyPillow founder defamed former employee for a leading voting equipment company
DENVER (AP) — A federal jury in Colorado on Monday found that one of the nation's most prominent election conspiracy theorists, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, defamed a former employee for a leading voting equipment company after the 2020 presidential election. The employee, Eric Coomer, was awarded $2.3 million in damages. He had sued after Lindell called him a traitor and accusations about him stealing the election were streamed on Lindell's online media platform. Coomer was the security and product strategy director at Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, whose voting machines became the target of elaborate conspiracy theories among allies of President Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim that his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 was due to widespread fraud. Dominion won a $787 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit it filed against Fox News over its airing of false claims against the company and has another lawsuit against the conservative network Newsmax. Newsmax apologized to Coomer in 2021 for airing false allegations against him. Coomer said during the two-week Lindell trial that his career and life were destroyed by the statements. His lawyers said Lindell either knew the statements were lies, or conveyed them recklessly without knowing if they were true. Lindell's lawyers denied the claims and said his online platform, formerly known as Frankspeech, is not liable for statements made by others. Lindell said he went to trial to draw attention to the need to get rid of electronic voting machines that have been targeted in a web of conspiracy theories. He said he used to be worth about $60 million before he started speaking out about the 2020 election and is now $10 million in debt. Reviews, recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss in 2020 all affirmed Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Trump's attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud, and Trump and his allies lost dozens of court cases seeking to overturn the result. Lindell stuck by his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen during the trial, but did not call any experts to present evidence of his claims. Lindell said his beliefs that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud were influenced by watching the 2020 HBO documentary 'Kill Chain' and by the views of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In an interview for a documentary Lindell made in 2021, Flynn said foreign interference was going to happen in U.S. elections, and Lindell said he had no reason to doubt the claim since Flynn had worked for both political parties in intelligence. Lindell distanced himself from an account by a Colorado podcaster who claimed to have heard a conference call from the anti-fascist group Antifa before the 2020 election. The podcast claimed that on the call someone named Eric from Dominion said he would make sure that Trump would not win, a story that was recounted on Frankspeech during a 2021 event. Lindell said he only learned about that during the trial. Lindell said he never accused Coomer of rigging the election, but he did say he was upset because he said Newsmax blocked him from being able to go on air to talk about voting machines after it apologized to Coomer. Coomer denied there was any such deal to block Lindell under his agreement with the network. Coomer's lawyers tried to show how their client's life was devastated by the conspiracy theories spreading about him. Lindell was comparatively late to seize on Coomer, not mentioning him until February 2021, well after his name had been circulated by other Trump partisans. Coomer said the conspiracy theories cost him his job, his mental health and the life he'd built and said Lindell's statements were the most distressing of all. He specifically pointed to a statement on May 9, 2021, when Lindell described what he believed Coomer had done as 'treason.' Lindell's attorneys argued that Coomer's reputation was already in tatters by the time Lindell mentioned him. They said that was partly because of Coomer's own Facebook posts disparaging Trump, which the former Dominion employee acknowledged were 'hyperbolic' and had been a mistake. Lindell denied making any statements he knew to be false about Coomer and testified that he has called many people traitors. His lawyers argued the statements were about a matter of public concern — elections — and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
