A federal jury in Colorado has ruled that MyPillow founder Mike Lindell defamed Eric Coomer, a former security and product strategy director at Dominion Voting Systems. The court ordered Lindell and his media platform, previously known as Frankspeech, to pay Coomer $2.3 million in damages. Coomer had requested $62.7 million, aiming to send a strong message against false accusations targeting election officials.
The case centered on two statements Lindell made about Coomer, including calling him a “traitor.” The jury found these comments defamatory but rejected eight other statements. Lindell responded by saying he would appeal the verdict and continue to speak out against electronic voting machines. He emphasized that he did not believe Eric Coomer legal team proved any actual harm and maintained his belief in replacing voting machines with paper ballots.
During the two-week trial, Coomer testified that his personal and professional life were destroyed by conspiracy theories linking him to election fraud. He stated that he lost his job, endured emotional distress, and feared for his safety after Lindell publicly mentioned him. His legal team argued that Lindell either knew his statements were false or made them without confirming the truth.
One key point of the case was Lindell’s May 2021 statement calling Coomer’s alleged actions “treason.” Coomer said that was the most damaging remark of all. Lindell’s lawyers countered by saying Coomer’s reputation had already suffered due to previous Facebook posts criticizing Donald Trump. Coomer admitted those posts were exaggerated and a mistake.
Lindell claimed he never accused Coomer of rigging the 2020 election. He said his concerns were based on a 2020 HBO documentary and opinions from Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser. He added that he believed those sources were reliable and had no reason to question them. Lindell also distanced himself from an earlier story told by a Colorado podcaster who claimed Coomer was involved in a phone call with a political activist group. Lindell said he only learned of that story during the trial.
Coomer’s lawyers presented the case as a warning to stop the spread of baseless attacks on election workers. Although the damages awarded were far less than requested, they said the decision was still an important step. Coomer has faced ongoing threats and now lives with constant fear, even though Lindell’s remarks came after others had already circulated his name.
After the 2020 election, Dominion’s voting machines became the target of widespread conspiracy theories promoted by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Trump and his allies claimed the election was stolen, despite losing dozens of court cases and lacking any proof. Multiple audits and reviews in key states confirmed Joe Biden’s win. Even Trump’s attorney general stated there was no evidence of fraud.
Dominion has been active in defending its reputation, including securing a $787 million defamation settlement in a high-profile case involving a major media network. It has also filed lawsuits against other outlets and personalities for spreading false claims. In 2021, one network publicly apologized to Coomer for airing untrue statements.
Lindell said he went to trial to highlight concerns about election security. He acknowledged that his activism had cost him millions of dollars and left him in debt. Still, he insisted that his remarks were protected by the First Amendment and related to public issues. His legal team argued that the statements about Coomer were opinions, not proven facts, and should not be punished as defamation.
Despite the jury’s ruling, Lindell remains committed to campaigning against the use of electronic voting machines. He believes future elections should rely entirely on paper ballots, counted by hand.
