Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder, has faced significant legal setbacks following his failure to honor the $5 million prize he promised to anyone who could disprove the legitimacy of data he claimed showed foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The case centers on Robert Zeidman, an engineer who participated in Lindell’s “Prove Mike Wrong” challenge, which was held during a 2021 “Cyber Symposium” in South Dakota. Lindell had promised a substantial reward to anyone who could demonstrate that the data he presented as evidence of election interference was not valid.
Zeidman, despite initially having doubts about his own abilities, successfully disproved Lindell’s claims. He demonstrated that the data presented by Lindell was not from the 2020 election, thus winning the $5 million prize. However, Lindell’s team, despite the clear findings, rejected Zeidman’s victory. The case then moved into arbitration, which ultimately ruled in Zeidman’s favor. The arbitration panel concluded that Zeidman had indeed proven that the data did not relate to the 2020 election, thus entitling him to the prize money.
Lindell, however, refused to pay the award, prompting Zeidman to seek legal enforcement. The case was taken to federal court, where in February 2024, a judge upheld the arbitration decision, ordering Lindell to pay the $5 million. The court also ruled that post-judgment interest would begin accruing from April 2023, the date the arbitration panel made its decision.
Despite the court’s ruling, Lindell’s company continued to resist compliance. Zeidman’s attorneys filed motions to compel Lindell to provide necessary financial documents to facilitate the collection of the award. Lindell had previously provided password-protected QuickBooks files but failed to supply the full range of requested documents, including information on any debts owed by him or his company. The court found that Lindell had not met its discovery obligations and granted Zeidman’s motion to compel the release of the financial information.
This ongoing legal battle has been marked by repeated delays and noncompliance from Lindell’s legal team, who have even withdrawn from the case on multiple occasions. The continued failure to comply with court orders has led to additional sanctions, including an award of attorneys’ fees to Zeidman in August 2024 due to Lindell’s failure to adhere to discovery rules.
Lindell’s troubles stem from his 2021 “Prove Mike Wrong” challenge, which was based on claims that he had definitive evidence of election fraud. The challenge promised a $5 million reward to anyone who could prove that the data Lindell presented was not related to the 2020 election. Lindell’s claim, however, was quickly debunked by Zeidman, who won the prize after proving the data was not valid.
The case has not only highlighted Lindell’s legal troubles but also his continued refusal to accept the arbitration ruling, resulting in ongoing legal costs and reputational damage. As the litigation progresses, the courts have repeatedly sided with Zeidman, and Lindell has faced increasing difficulty in avoiding compliance with the rulings.
