MyPillow CEO and founder Mike Lindell speaks to reporters at his MyPillow factory in the Minneapolis suburb of Shakopee, Minn., on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, as he launches his campaign for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
Smartmatic has intensified its legal battle against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who is also a Minnesota gubernatorial hopeful, by highlighting questionable financial activities linked to his campaign. The voting technology firm has already petitioned the court to impose over $56,000 in sanctions on Lindell for what it describes as “frivolous” claims concerning the 2020 election.
In a recent legal filing, Smartmatic informed U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols about Lindell’s campaign spending, as detailed in the publicly available financial reports for 2025. These records reveal significant expenditures on bulk purchases of Lindell’s own book, which Smartmatic claims were effectively payments to himself.
According to the report, while the campaign successfully raised $356,513.40, a substantial portion was spent on MyPillow products. The Minnesota Reformer noted that Lindell reportedly distributed over 20,000 copies of his book “What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO,” with more than half of last year’s spending going towards these purchases.
The supplementary filing reveals that out of $272,578.03 spent, $187,037.87 was directed to MyPillow Inc. for “Lindell Books” and “Mike Lindell Books.” This expenditure has raised eyebrows as Smartmatic argues it demonstrates Lindell’s ability to pay the $56,369 in sanctions ordered in January 2025, suggesting the book purchases were a method to funnel money back to himself and his company.
Smartmatic’s legal team emphasized this point, stating that “the majority of the funds raised by the Campaign in 2025 were used to make bulk purchases of books from MyPillow Inc., of which Mr. Lindell is the Founder, CEO, and Majority Shareholder.”
“In other words, the majority of the funds raised by the Campaign in 2025 were used to make bulk purchases of books from MyPillow Inc., of which Mr. Lindell is the Founder, CEO, and Majority Shareholder,” Smartmatic’s attorneys said.
The filing comes as Smartmatic has already asked Nichols, a Donald Trump appointee, to “coerce” Lindell’s compliance, hold him in contempt, and issue a “daily penalty” until he pays in full, not buying his claims of “genuine financial hardship.”
“This is not an inability to pay. It is a calculated refusal to pay. Only the threat of contempt will move him to comply,” Smartmatic said.
Instead, Smartmatic added, Lindell displayed his willingness to boost claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
In 2020, Smartmatic’s technology was used only in Los Angeles County, a county then-candidate Joe Biden easily won. Nonetheless, then-President Trump’s allies pushed the notion that the company was tied to deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and could have played a role in stealing the election, leading to defamation lawsuits.
Smartmatic became involved in the present Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit as a third-party defendant because Lindell countersued, claiming RICO violations. Some “frivolous” claims in the Lindell countersuit led Nichols to order up $56,369 in sanctions.
Last March, Smartmatic moved to hold Lindell in civil contempt, complaining that he “still has not paid, nor […] meaningfully engaged in any discussions or negotiations regarding the terms of payment.”
Nearly a year later, Smartmatic says it has all the evidence it needs to show Lindell violated a court order, warranting “further contempt sanctions.”
“Mr. Lindell’s instant response demonstrates precisely what Smartmatic foresaw: a claim of inability to pay born of disregard for this Court’s orders, rather than genuine financial hardship. Mr. Lindell will not pay unless and until the Court compels him to do so through contempt,” Smartmatic stated.
