Judge Rules MyPillow Founder Mike Lindell Defamed Voting Machine Company Smartmatic

A federal judge in Minnesota ruled Friday that MyPillow founder Mike Lindell defamed election technology company Smartmatic by making false statements claiming its voting machines helped rig the 2020 presidential election.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan determined that no reasonable person could find truth in any of Lindell’s 51 separate false claims about Smartmatic’s voting machines. However, the judge deferred judgment on whether Lindell acted with “actual malice” — a critical legal standard that Smartmatic must prove to collect damages.

The ruling stems from Lindell’s repeated assertions that Smartmatic’s machines were used to change votes from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in California’s Los Angeles County. The county, which Biden won with 71% of the vote, was Smartmatic’s only customer for the 2020 presidential election.

“The Court concludes that, based on the record presented, no reasonable trier of fact could find that any of the statements at issue are true,” Bryan wrote in his ruling. He noted, however, that “genuine fact disputes” exist as to whether Lindell made these statements knowing they were false or with reckless disregard for their accuracy.

Smartmatic attorney Erik Connolly announced they would seek “nine-figure damages” from both Lindell and MyPillow. “Smartmatic did not and could not have rigged the 2020 election,” Connolly stated. “It was impossible, and everything that Mr. Lindell said about Smartmatic was false.”

This ruling continues a string of legal victories for Smartmatic, which previously reached settlements with conservative news outlets Newsmax and One America News Network. The company still has an active lawsuit against Fox News.

For Lindell, the ruling represents another significant legal setback in his campaign to promote unfounded claims of widespread election fraud. In June, a jury found Lindell guilty of defaming a former Dominion Voting Systems employee by accusing him of treason, resulting in a $2.3 million damage award.

When contacted shortly after the ruling, Lindell told The Associated Press he hadn’t yet seen the decision, calling it “the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard.” Despite the ruling, Lindell doubled down on his accusations, describing Smartmatic as “one of the most corrupt companies in the world” and vowing to continue his fight against electronic voting machines.

Lindell pledged to take his campaign for paper ballots “all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary,” showing no signs of retreating from his position despite mounting legal troubles.

The MyPillow founder also revealed he recently reestablished residency in Minnesota, suggesting he may be preparing for a gubernatorial run against Democratic incumbent Governor Tim Walz. While his bedding company is headquartered in the Minneapolis suburbs, Lindell had been living in Texas until recently.

The Smartmatic case represents just one of several legal challenges facing Lindell, whose public profile rose significantly after he became one of the most prominent voices promoting baseless theories about the 2020 election. These legal battles have taken a toll on both Lindell personally and on his business interests.

Lindell did score one recent legal victory in July, when a federal appeals court ruled he didn’t have to pay a $5 million arbitration award to a software engineer who disputed data Lindell claimed proved Chinese interference in the 2020 election. The court determined the arbitration panel had exceeded its authority.

As this case proceeds to determine whether Lindell acted with actual malice, it highlights the ongoing tension between free speech protections and the legal consequences of spreading demonstrably false information about election systems and technologies that form the foundation of American democracy.