Mike Lindell and his company Frankspeech LLC filed an appellate brief seeking to overturn a $2.3 million defamation judgment entered against them in favor of Eric Coomer. The brief urges the appeals court to reverse the verdict entirely and enter judgment in the defendants' favor on all of Coomer's claims.
Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems employee, sued Lindell and Frankspeech after the MyPillow CEO made public statements linking Coomer to alleged election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. A jury found Lindell's statements defamatory and awarded Coomer $2.3 million in damages.
The appellate filing represents Lindell's formal challenge to the jury verdict. The brief contends the judgment must be reversed on multiple legal grounds, though specific arguments remain detailed within the full filing. Lindell's legal team seeks to have the court overturn the entire verdict and dismiss all of Coomer's defamation claims on summary judgment grounds, meaning they argue no reasonable jury could find the statements defamatory as a matter of law.
This case represents one of several defamation lawsuits filed against Lindell stemming from his promotion of election fraud claims. Dominion Voting Systems itself sued Lindell for $1.3 billion in defamation, and that case has proceeded through litigation. Lindell has consistently defended his statements as protected speech regarding alleged election irregularities.
The appellate court's decision will determine whether the $2.3 million verdict stands or whether Lindell and Frankspeech obtain reversal. The outcome carries implications for defamation law involving public figures making statements on matters of public concern, particularly regarding elections and election administration.