Claim to have won the case and con followers into paying the $2.3 million in damages owed the real victor is how Mike Lindell, hawker of pillows and election conspiracy theories, responded to this week’s verdict against him.
Monday a federal jury found Lindell and his media platform, FrankSpeech, guilty of defaming Eric Coomer, the former security and product strategy director for Dominion Voting Systems.
Lindell accused Coomer of being a traitor, a criminal, and “part of the biggest crime this world has ever seen” by helping to steal the 2020 election for Joe Biden with sabotaged voting machines. These lies harmed Coomer’s reputation, career, safety, and health. Because the jury did not award Coomer the full $62.7 million he requested, Lindell is spinning the loss as a victory.
This isn’t the first time Lindell has paid for pedaling deception. Back in 2021 he challenged computer experts to prove that his 2020 election data were false. When the “Prove Mike Wrong” contest did just that, Lindell refused to pay the winner until an arbitration panel forced him to pony up.
Undeterred, Lindell has continued to push preposterous and thoroughly debunked claims about the election. He’s been using the defamation trial to hawk his wares on social media. In addition to pillows, buyers can get their very own replica of Lindell’s always prominently displayed cross necklace for the low, low price of $249.98 (half off with promo code JURY).
Like an 80’s televangelist, Lindell is a pro at exploiting religion to bilk the gullible. In addition to sales, he’s raised more than $362,000 so far through crowdfunding to support his case, which he’s appealing.
Since it’s a civil not a criminal case, the Trump administration cannot issue a get-out-of-justice-free card like it did for the January 6 convicts or like it is trying to do for fellow election conspiracy theorist Tina Peters.
Lindell could, however, seek a job with the Trump administration. Lack of competence is no barrier. It might, like loyalty and lack of scruples, be a requirement. Dave Williams, the former Colorado GOP chairman who destroyed what remained of the state party’s credibility, recently got a job with the Commerce Department. Perhaps Lindell can join him or at the very least land a multi-million dollar federal contract for pillows.
It’s small consolation to know Lindell is not the only limelight-seeker to pay damages. One America News, Sidney Powell, and Newsmax settled with Coomer. Perhaps as a prelude to a settlement, Salem Media just issued another apology for allowing Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann to voice false statements about Coomer on air. Oltmann claimed he heard Coomer on an Antifa conference call say he was going to throw the election to Biden. Coomer is likely to prevail in his defamation case against Oltmann.
Nevertheless, Oltmann spent the past the week badmouthing the judge and the plaintiff. Perhaps his attorney should familiarize him with the concept of defamation and court proceedings generally. It’s costing him. A federal appeals court just upheld a district court’s $1,000-per-day sanction ruling against Oltmann for skipping out on his court deposition.
In the end though, no amount of money from these con men can make up for what Coomer has endured the past four years. Election lies ruined his life, shattered his reputation, and made him the target of death threats. That can never be paid back.
Krista Kafer is a Sunday Denver Post columnist.
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Kafer: Mike Lindell is trying to pay $2.3 million in damages by selling crosses for the low, low price of $250, half off with promo code “JURY” )
Also on site :