A federal appeals court delivered a win to MyPillow founder Mike Lindell on Wednesday, ruling he does not have to pay a $5 million award to a software engineer who challenged Lindell’s claims that China interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals found that an arbitration panel exceeded its authority in awarding the money to Robert Zeidman, a Las Vegas-based engineer who participated in Lindell’s 2021 “Prove Mike Wrong Challenge.”
“It’s a great day for our country,” Lindell said in an interview following the decision. “This is a big win. It opens the door to getting rid of these electronic voting machines and getting paper ballots, hand-counted.”
Lindell has been a leading voice in promoting claims that the 2020 election was rigged, despite more than 50 failed court challenges from allies of President Donald Trump and clear statements from Trump’s own Justice Department rejecting widespread fraud.
As part of a “Cyber Symposium” Lindell hosted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he promised $5 million to anyone who could prove that the packet capture data he released were not from the 2020 election. Zeidman submitted a 15-page report debunking the data and, after contest officials refused to declare him the winner, he filed for arbitration. A panel of three arbitrators—including one chosen by Lindell—ruled in Zeidman’s favor and awarded the $5 million. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim later upheld the decision, despite calling the contest rules a “poorly written contract.”
However, the appeals court disagreed. In its ruling, the 8th Circuit said the arbitrators strayed beyond the contract’s clear terms.
“Whatever one might think of the logic of the panel’s reasoning, it is contrary to Minnesota law. … Fair or not, agreed-to contract terms may not be modified by the panel or by this court,” the court wrote. The case was remanded to the lower court with instructions to vacate the award.
Zeidman’s attorney, Brian Glasser, criticized the ruling and encouraged the public to evaluate the original arbitration decision for themselves.
“Judge for yourselves if the Eighth Circuit’s decision today is more persuasive, or rings in truth louder, than the unanimous contrary decision of three arbitrators who heard all the evidence, including one appointed by Mr. Lindell,” he said.
The ruling comes amid a string of legal battles for Lindell. Just last month, a Colorado jury found him liable for defaming a former voting machine company employee by accusing him of treason, awarding $2.3 million in damages. Lindell is appealing that verdict as well, claiming it was a personal loss and not one for MyPillow, which was not held liable.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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