New multimillion dollar financial blow to Mike Lindell
Donald Trump and his minions have an addiction to reckless bluster, whether it involves bragging about themselves or threatening and challenging others. Fortunately, given how often they engage in faux aggression, it’s always just a matter of time until the bravado backfires. My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell is now the latest example of a Trump sycophant to have been shamelessly hoisted by his own petard.
An arbitration panel has ordered Lindell to pay $5 million to software developer Robert Zeidman for proving that Lindell’s supposedly solid data supporting widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election was bogus. Normally, someone doesn’t become entitled to compensation simply for proving another person wrong about something. However, Lindell essentially begged for this outcome, so he only has himself to blame.
In 2021, Lindell held a “cyber symposium” event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to which he invited journalists, politicians, and cybersecurity experts. As Lindell explained in a deposition, the “whole purpose” was “to get the big audience” to see “how they intruded into our machines, our computers,” according to reporting from CNN.
Lindell then proceeded with the Trumpian bluster, announcing a “Prove Mike Wrong Challenge” in which $5 million goes to anyone who could disprove his 2020 election data. The challenge was even easier than it could have been. Contestants were not required to disprove election interference but simply prove that 11 files of data were “not valid,” as the panel pointed out, which is exactly what Zeidman handily accomplished.
This financial setback is the last thing Lindell needs as he has taken on millions in debt to defend himself in defamation suits over false election claims. The panel’s decision is also a significant hit to whatever was left of Lindell’s credibility. Zeidman’s attorney, Brian Glasser, put it perfectly: “The lawsuit and verdict mark another important moment in the ongoing proof that the 2020 election was legal and valid, and the role of cybersecurity in ensuring that integrity.” Thanks, Mike, for helping put that issue to bed.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month