Denver, CO —
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has been ordered to pay $2.3 million in damages after a Colorado jury found he defamed Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems director who became a lightning rod for 2020 election conspiracy theories.

The decision marks a rare moment of accountability in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s loss and the tidal wave of false claims that followed — many of which centered on voting machines, shadowy “antifa” calls, and people like Coomer, who said he received death threats and was forced into hiding after being falsely accused of rigging the election.

“This shows individuals can find vindication through the courthouse,” said Charlie Cain, Coomer’s attorney, following the verdict. “He’ll still be looking over his shoulder, but this is a step toward justice.”

The $2.3 million award is well short of the $60 million Coomer had sought. But it still represents a significant blow to Lindell, who has repeatedly claimed he is broke and already owes millions in other legal judgments — including $5 million to a software expert in a separate defamation case. Lindell vowed to appeal the Coomer verdict, arguing there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support the damages awarded.

The Conspiracy That Caught Fire

Though Lindell did not originate the baseless claims against Coomer, he became one of their most aggressive amplifiers. The narrative began with Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann, who claimed — without evidence — to have infiltrated an “antifa” conference call during which a man identified as “Eric from Dominion” allegedly boasted he had ensured Trump would lose.

An internet search tied “Eric,” “Dominion,” and “Colorado” together — leading conspiracy theorists directly to Coomer, who at the time was Dominion’s director of product strategy and security.

Despite Coomer’s repeated denials, the story spread rapidly. It was pushed by right-wing influencers, shared by Eric Trump, and aired across conservative media platforms, including Newsmax and One America News. Coomer sued in response, launching a wave of defamation lawsuits against those who repeated or repackaged the claims.

Lindell: From Pillows to Politics

Mike Lindell, the flamboyant MyPillow founder who became a vocal supporter of Trump’s election lies, turned Coomer into a regular target on his social media platform Frank Speech. Lindell accused Coomer of being part of a vast criminal conspiracy, once publicly declaring he “should be behind bars.”

In his defense, Lindell claimed he wasn’t directly accusing Coomer of election fraud — only that Coomer’s lawsuits were attempts to block his own investigation into voting machines. Lindell’s legal team argued that the CEO’s claims stemmed from sincere beliefs, not malice.

But the jury disagreed. They found two specific instances — one in May 2021, and another in April 2022 — where Lindell’s rhetoric crossed into defamation.

Coomer’s lawyers also convinced the jury that Frank Speech itself was responsible for punitive damages, though the jury declined to find that Lindell had intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

In court, Lindell remained combative. He lashed out at Coomer and his legal team, repeated long-debunked claims about Chinese interference in U.S. elections, and framed himself as the real victim — arguing that the lawsuits had destroyed his company and reputation.

“MyPillow should never have been sued,” he said outside the courthouse. “I didn’t even know who [Coomer] was until he sued me.”

A Pattern of Legal Trouble

Lindell’s defeat in Colorado adds to his growing list of legal problems. He is still facing a high-profile defamation lawsuit from Dominion itself in federal court, along with other lawsuits tied to his unsubstantiated claims about election fraud.

Coomer’s legal battle isn’t over either. He is scheduled to face off against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and the Trump campaign in another defamation trial next April.

Still, Monday’s verdict represented a clear win for those seeking to push back against the tide of election disinformation that has defined the post-2020 political landscape.

On the stand, Coomer described the toll the lies had taken on his life: the threats, the fear, and the collapse of a career he had worked years to build. Though the jury didn’t give him everything he asked for, they gave him what many victims of online smear campaigns never get — recognition.

“This was never about politics,” said Cain. “It was about restoring a man’s dignity.”