Businessman and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, best known as the founder of My Pillow and a prominent advisor to Donald Trump, refuses to accept his loss in the Republican primary for governor of Minnesota on Aug. 11. Lindell lost by 11 points to the Minnesota house speaker, Lisa Demuth, but did not graciously concede. Instead, he immediately began spouting conspiracy theories that explained away his loss, suggesting there were “anomalies” in the election process.
He’s still not giving up. On Wednesday, he offered to fund a recount of the election.
“One of the few good election laws Minnesota does have is that as a candidate, I have the right to completely audit and hand-count every ballot in the state, and I am going to exercise that right to the full extent of the law,” Lindell said in a press release, which claimed “the effort will be the largest privately funded statewide paper-ballot recount and audit in U.S. history.” It will cost Lindell approximately $825,000, according to CBS News.
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A recount is automatically triggered when there is a 0.25% difference in votes in Minnesota, but obviously 11 points is quite a bit more. Lindell cited counties reporting more votes than were cast, vote totals that moved backward and unusual synchronized vote totals across all seven Republican candidates, as motivation for the recount. It could also have to do with the fact that in early August, Lindell stepped down as CEO of My Pillow to focus on his gubernatorial run, so maybe he needs the job.
Lindell has pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election as well, leading to a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, now known as Liberty Vote. In July, the two parties settled the suit for an undisclosed sum.
