Right-Wing Conspiracy Theorist Mike Lindell Wastes $825,000 on Minnesota Governor Primary Recount
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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, notorious for spreading baseless election conspiracies, plans to squander $825,000 on a hand recount of the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary, exploiting a loophole in state law to cast doubt on democratic processes.
Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder infamous for peddling election denialism, announced Wednesday that he will bankroll a costly, unnecessary statewide hand recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in the August 11 Republican primary for Minnesota governor. Lindell, who lost by a wide margin, is exploiting a Minnesota statute that allows even losing candidates to demand a full hand count, regardless of how decisively voters rejected them. The estimated $825,000 price tag, which Lindell is willing to pay, underscores the lengths to which right-wing figures will go to undermine trust in elections.
Lindell declared, "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 vowed to use this provision "to the full extent of the law." His statement reflects the ongoing strategy of election deniers to weaponize legal technicalities for political theater.
Secretary of State General Counsel Lauren Bethke sent Lindell a letter on Aug. 18 confirming the cost estimate and setting an Aug. 24 deadline for him to submit a formal request and provide a bond, cash or surety for the amount. The Secretary of State’s office, forced to accommodate this spectacle, outlined a contingency plan appointing Paul Linnell, Director of Elections, as State Recount Official, with the recount to be conducted publicly and open to media scrutiny.
Despite losing to House Speaker Lisa Demuth by about 11 percentage points, Lindell has irresponsibly claimed the primary contained "anomalies"—yet, as usual, he has failed to provide any evidence. No official irregularities have been reported in the election results, further highlighting the baselessness of his claims.
Lindell rose to national infamy after the 2020 presidential election for promoting debunked allegations of voting-machine manipulation, leading to costly defamation settlements with Dominion Voting Systems and ongoing litigation with Smartmatic. His latest stunt continues the right-wing assault on democracy and public trust.