Latest news with #MikeLindell
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
MyPillow's Mike Lindell faces trial and plans to testify about 2020 election lies
A trial underway in Colorado could add to the financial problems facing the pillow salesman and prominent election denier Mike Lindell and will serve as another test of whether defamation law can be effective to fight false claims about elections. Opening statements began Tuesday in a case brought by Eric Coomer, who formerly worked in security and voting technology strategy for voting machine company Dominion. Coomer sued Lindell and a host of others who spread unproven claims that he interfered with the 2020 election. . Companies and individuals who were targeted by the right with false stolen election claims after the 2020 election have attempted to use defamation law to hold parties including Fox News and other rightwing media outlets accountable for false claims. Several lawsuits have been settled, including a claim Coomer brought against conservative outlet Newsmax, while juries have awarded damages in others, including a major judgment against Rudy Giuliani. The conspiracy theories about Coomer started with a rightwing podcaster in Colorado, Joe Oltmann, who claimed that someone who identified himself as 'Eric the Dominion guy' had been on an 'antifa' call where he said: 'Don't worry about the election, Trump is not gonna win. I made fucking sure of that.' Oltmann found some of Coomer's social media posts, which were anti-Donald Trump. Oltmann has not produced any tape of the alleged call, nor any other proof that Coomer manipulated the election. Coomer is also suing Oltmann, who is expected to testify this week in the Lindell trial. Lindell elevated Oltmann's claims and has fought the lawsuit, one of several he has faced over his election lies. His online TV network, LindellTV, is providing regular coverage of the case. On Monday, the day the jury was selected, Lindell held a news conference outside the courthouse before the trial began. He said he plans to take the stand at trial this week, telling Rolling Stone: 'Of course I'm gonna testify at my own trial! … I have nothing to hide. I am a former crack addict; I've always been open about that. I've always been open about everything! I'm as transparent as they come … So I have nothing to hide at this trial.' Coomer filed the lawsuit against Lindell in April 2022. Coomer's attorneys have argued Lindell's statements about Coomer were in part motivated by Newsmax not allowing Lindell to go on its programs after the company settled the lawsuit Coomer brought against it for spreading false claims, according to the Denver Post. Lindell's attorneys said Coomer's lawsuit against Lindell 'triggered' the pillow salesman into defaming Coomer, the paper reported. In videos shown to the jury on Tuesday, Lindell said Coomer had participated in 'the biggest crime this world has ever seen', reported 9 News, a local Denver news outlet. Lindell's attorneys said they would not show evidence of a rigged election because it was immaterial to Lindell's defense. 'It's just words. All Mike Lindell did was talk,' Chris Kachouroff, Lindell's attorney, said. 'Mike believed that he was telling the truth.' According to 9News, Coomer testified in the case on Tuesday, saying he has never interfered with an election and that Lindell's claims had caused intense disruption to his life. Coomer said he feared for his life, experienced death threats and had gone into hiding for a time. 'Ultimately it's to try to regain some semblance of my life. I didn't just lose my livelihood, I lost my life as a direct result of statements by Mr. Lindell accusing me of being a traitor,' Coomer said. Lindell is also being sued by Dominion and Smartmatic, another voting machine company. Those lawsuits have not made it to trial. Lindell has struggled to pay for his legal defense – a law firm that was representing him sought to be removed from his cases because he owed them millions of dollars and couldn't pay, the Star Tribune reported.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell
Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. Lindell is on trial in a defamation case brought by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. 01:42 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 17 videos Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. Lindell is on trial in a defamation case brought by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. 01:42 - Source: CNN Police shut down All-American Rejects backyard gig in college town The All-American Rejects played a backyard gig in Columbia, Missouri, as part of their House Party Tour protesting against expensive arena shows. Police eventually shut it down, but not before letting the band play one final song. 01:05 - Source: CNN Bringing 1950s style to Broadway Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo mixed vintage, thrifted clothing with precise recreations of 1950s style to bring the Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck to life. She tells CNN how she approached dressing George Clooney and Ilana Glazer with historic authenticity. Tune in to CNN on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm to watch the play broadcast live from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. 01:53 - Source: CNN Social media video appears to show escaped inmate A video posted online appears to show Antoine Massey, one of two men who remains on the run after escaping a New Orleans jail, declaring his innocence. Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair told CNN that the US Marshals Service received the video Monday and that the agency is looking into it. 01:08 - Source: CNN Trans high school athlete wins events amid controversy A transgender athlete, whose participation sparked a national controversy and a temporary rule change, took first place in two of her three events in the California High School Track and Field Championship. 01:09 - Source: CNN How fish skin saved this child's life Eliana DeVos received a dressing made with fish skin to help her recover from a serious bacterial infection that left an open wound on her neck. CNN's Jacqueline Howard spoke with Eliana's mom and her health team at Driscoll Children's Hospital about the healing process. 02:30 - Source: CNN Millions of bees buzz around Washington state roads after truck overturns Millions of bees escape after a truck carrying honeybee hives overturned in Whatcom County, Washington, and rolled into a ditch. Local beekeepers were called to the scene. 00:42 - Source: CNN Taylor Swift buys back her entire music catalogue Roughly six years after Taylor Swift protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label, she now owns her entire catalog of music. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website. 01:28 - Source: CNN 108-year-old submarine wreck seen in new footage Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution captured close-up images of a WWI-era submarine lost at sea 108 years ago. 00:40 - Source: CNN Car flies off the road, crashes into a roof Video shows a car fly off the road and into a veterans hall in Missouri, police say as a result of speeding. This is the second time in three months a car crashed into the same building. The veterans hall will be closed for months for a second time after the latest crash, according to CNN affiliate KCTV. 00:38 - Source: CNN 'The Handmaid's Tale' star reacts to parting scene with June O-T Fagbenle reflects on wrapping "The Handmaid's Tale," Luke's evolution, and the emotional final scene with June as the series ends after six seasons. 02:04 - Source: CNN Elephant seal in Cape Town wanders into suburbia, stops traffic and wins the hearts of locals A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast. 00:57 - Source: CNN Why e.l.f. just bought Hailey Bieber's beauty brand for $1 billion e.l.f. Beauty is buying Hailey Bieber's makeup brand, Rhode, for $1 billion. Founded in 2022, Bieber's brand racked up $212 million in net sales in its last fiscal year. 01:11 - Source: CNN Contestants risk injury in cheese wheel competition An annual race held in England has attracted thousands around the world. It's been described as the world's most dangerous race: a 200-yard dash after a wheel of Gloucester cheese. 01:15 - Source: CNN Should Sean 'Diddy' Combs testify? CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Benjamin Chew, co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, about whether Sean "Diddy" Combs should testify in his high stakes criminal trial. 01:55 - Source: CNN SpaceX Starship outperforms previous missions this year Regrouping after two consecutive explosions, SpaceX launched the 9th test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. The mission marks the first time the company reused a Super Heavy booster from a previous flight. 01:55 - Source: CNN Two birds found onboard Delta flight A flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, was delayed for about an hour after two birds tried to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight. 00:44 - Source: CNN
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell
Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. Lindell is on trial in a defamation case brought by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. 01:42 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 17 videos Harry Enten walks through the rise and fall of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. Lindell is on trial in a defamation case brought by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. 01:42 - Source: CNN Police shut down All-American Rejects backyard gig in college town The All-American Rejects played a backyard gig in Columbia, Missouri, as part of their House Party Tour protesting against expensive arena shows. Police eventually shut it down, but not before letting the band play one final song. 01:05 - Source: CNN Bringing 1950s style to Broadway Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo mixed vintage, thrifted clothing with precise recreations of 1950s style to bring the Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck to life. She tells CNN how she approached dressing George Clooney and Ilana Glazer with historic authenticity. Tune in to CNN on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm to watch the play broadcast live from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. 01:53 - Source: CNN Social media video appears to show escaped inmate A video posted online appears to show Antoine Massey, one of two men who remains on the run after escaping a New Orleans jail, declaring his innocence. Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair told CNN that the US Marshals Service received the video Monday and that the agency is looking into it. 01:08 - Source: CNN Trans high school athlete wins events amid controversy A transgender athlete, whose participation sparked a national controversy and a temporary rule change, took first place in two of her three events in the California High School Track and Field Championship. 01:09 - Source: CNN How fish skin saved this child's life Eliana DeVos received a dressing made with fish skin to help her recover from a serious bacterial infection that left an open wound on her neck. CNN's Jacqueline Howard spoke with Eliana's mom and her health team at Driscoll Children's Hospital about the healing process. 02:30 - Source: CNN Millions of bees buzz around Washington state roads after truck overturns Millions of bees escape after a truck carrying honeybee hives overturned in Whatcom County, Washington, and rolled into a ditch. Local beekeepers were called to the scene. 00:42 - Source: CNN Taylor Swift buys back her entire music catalogue Roughly six years after Taylor Swift protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label, she now owns her entire catalog of music. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website. 01:28 - Source: CNN 108-year-old submarine wreck seen in new footage Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution captured close-up images of a WWI-era submarine lost at sea 108 years ago. 00:40 - Source: CNN Car flies off the road, crashes into a roof Video shows a car fly off the road and into a veterans hall in Missouri, police say as a result of speeding. This is the second time in three months a car crashed into the same building. The veterans hall will be closed for months for a second time after the latest crash, according to CNN affiliate KCTV. 00:38 - Source: CNN 'The Handmaid's Tale' star reacts to parting scene with June O-T Fagbenle reflects on wrapping "The Handmaid's Tale," Luke's evolution, and the emotional final scene with June as the series ends after six seasons. 02:04 - Source: CNN Elephant seal in Cape Town wanders into suburbia, stops traffic and wins the hearts of locals A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast. 00:57 - Source: CNN Why e.l.f. just bought Hailey Bieber's beauty brand for $1 billion e.l.f. Beauty is buying Hailey Bieber's makeup brand, Rhode, for $1 billion. Founded in 2022, Bieber's brand racked up $212 million in net sales in its last fiscal year. 01:11 - Source: CNN Contestants risk injury in cheese wheel competition An annual race held in England has attracted thousands around the world. It's been described as the world's most dangerous race: a 200-yard dash after a wheel of Gloucester cheese. 01:15 - Source: CNN Should Sean 'Diddy' Combs testify? CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Benjamin Chew, co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, about whether Sean "Diddy" Combs should testify in his high stakes criminal trial. 01:55 - Source: CNN SpaceX Starship outperforms previous missions this year Regrouping after two consecutive explosions, SpaceX launched the 9th test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. The mission marks the first time the company reused a Super Heavy booster from a previous flight. 01:55 - Source: CNN Two birds found onboard Delta flight A flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, was delayed for about an hour after two birds tried to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight. 00:44 - Source: CNN
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
MyPillow guy faces jury in defamation trial
CNN's Donie O'Sullivan talks to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell as he prepares to take the stand in a defamation case brought against him by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
MyPillow guy faces jury in defamation trial
CNN's Donie O'Sullivan talks to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell as he prepares to take the stand in a defamation case brought against him by a former Dominion Voting Systems employee
