A federal judge in Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on Lindell and his former lawyers as part of a decision throwing out the CEO’s defamation lawsuits against Dominion Voting Systems Inc. and Smartmatic Corp., which were falsely placed at the center of a vast conspiracy theory after the election.
Lindell, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, filed his suit after the companies sued him for defamation over his election-fraud claims. Nichols said the CEO failed to properly allege a conspiracy by the two companies or back up his claim that they defamed him. The judge also partially granted Smartmatic’s motion for sanctions and fees. The amount will be decided later.
“The Court agrees with Smartmatic that Lindell has asserted at least some groundless claims,” US District Judge Carl Nichols said in his ruling. More than one claim “falls on the frivolous side of the line.”
Lindell said “Whatever the judge thinks, that’s his opinion, I’ve got lawyers doing more important things like removing these machines from every state.”
