Mike Lindell Pursues Recount in Minnesota’s GOP Primary for Governor

Mike Lindell, a known supporter of Donald Trump and the creator of MyPillow, announced his intention to finance a complete recount in the Republican primary for Minnesota’s governor. Lindell lost the race by 11 percentage points this month.

In a conversation with NBC News, Lindell explained his decision to investigate the primary after losing to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth on August 11. Lindell communicated with Minnesota’s secretary of state’s office, seeking the cost for a full recount.

Lauren Bethke, the secretary of state’s general counsel, responded with a letter on Tuesday, estimating the full hand recount and audit would cost around $825,000. Lindell anticipates the expenses could surpass $1 million, citing the need for additional investigative actions, including hiring his own team. He is prepared to cover these expenses.

The secretary of state’s office stated on Wednesday they have not received a formal recount request. Bethke’s letter indicated Lindell must submit a recount request along with financial assurance for the estimated cost by the following Monday to proceed.

Lindell intends to personally deliver the request on Monday. He is also coordinating with the office about the locations where each county will conduct the recount to deploy observers to monitor the process.

In a news release on Tuesday, Lindell claimed his team identified multiple “irregularities” in the election data, which he attributes to the use of electronic voting machines. He acknowledged the recount may not change the election outcome but asserts it is critical for eliminating electronic voting machines.

Lindell, who had the endorsement of former President Trump in the primary, is involved in several lawsuits related to his unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election. In January, a federal judge ordered him to pay $56,369 to Smartmatic USA Corp., a voting machine company, for defamation. Lindell initially refused payment, leading the judge to impose a daily fine of $500, further increasing the owed amount.

On Wednesday, Lindell’s legal team informed U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan, who ruled in September regarding the defamation, of their intention to request reconsideration. They referenced “newly available evidence,” specifically documents on election security released by Trump in July. These documents did not present any substantial evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Lindell remains firm on his allegations regarding election fraud, insisting that the documents support his stance. He plans to continue challenging Smartmatic, even if the court does not alter the ruling.