(NewsSpace.com) – In the aftermath of the 2020 election, several people joined in on former President Donald Trump’s cries that he was the rightful winner. One of those was MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who accused several voting companies of participating in fraud to declare Joe Biden the victor. He even went so far as to sue Dominion Voting and Smartmatic for a variety of claims, including RICO violations, a lawsuit he lost. Smartmatic, in turn, sued him for legal fees — and scored a partial win. Now, the company is concerned he won’t be able to pay them.
Defamation Lawsuits
Lindell is facing defamation lawsuits brought by Dominion Voting Systems, Eric Coomer, a former employee with Dominion, and Smartmatic in 2021 and 2022. He, in turn, filed counterclaims, which were thrown out by a court in 2022. Lindell was also ordered to pay some of the legal fees Smartmatic incurred in its defense of itself.
The court agreed that some of the allegations by Lindell were, indeed, frivolous and based on “at least some groundless claims.” The voting company is seeking in excess of half a million dollars, claiming it spent “1168.6 hours of work investigating, researching, and drafting several complex motions, plus $400 in costs.” It claims that added up to $658,646.73, but is only asking $546,156 “for reasonable legal fees.” Yet, nearly two years later, Smartmatic has yet to see any of that money.
Smartmatic Requests Hearing
Smartmatic, which has filed a motion in the Dominion lawsuit against Lindell, is asking for a hearing to take place in the next 30 days. The attorneys have expressed concern that Lindell’s financial situation — he’s rumored to be millions in debt — could mean it won’t be able to “collect the fees and costs incurred in defending itself and moving for sanctions under Rule 11.”
Smartmatic is using information from Lindell’s own former attorneys, who asked to withdraw from the case. They alleged the MyPillow CEO owed them millions of dollars, which put their very livelihood and that of the firm they worked for at risk. Lindell said he simply changed attorneys because he was trying to save money.
In the filing, Smartmatic insists its “sole remaining involvement in this action is the pending decision on its fee petition,” which has been pending for nearly two years now. It maintains that if the court does not issue a decision on the amount Lindell owes the company, it may “be left without a remedy.”
It’s not clear whether or not the hearing will be scheduled per Smartmatic’s request.
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