MyPillow founder Mike Lindell said Dominion Voting Systems has agreed to dismiss its $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against him and his company, bringing to a close one of the final major legal disputes stemming from claims surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
Court filings submitted this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia show the parties reached a confidential settlement and agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, preventing the lawsuit from being refiled.
Under the agreement, each side will pay its own attorney fees and legal costs. The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Dominion filed the lawsuit in February 2021, alleging Lindell and MyPillow repeatedly promoted false claims that the company’s voting machines helped manipulate the outcome of the 2020 presidential election through television appearances, interviews, social media posts and online platforms.
The voting technology company sought $1.3 billion in damages, arguing the statements caused significant reputational and financial harm while exposing the company and its employees to threats.
Lindell announced the dismissal during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, calling the outcome a major victory after more than five years of litigation.
“They dropped the lawsuit after five and a half years,” Lindell said. “MyPillow was being sued for $1.3 billion. My employee-owned company, they had this hanging over their head for that long.”
After discussing the settlement, Lindell renewed his longstanding criticism of electronic voting systems, calling for paper ballots, hand-counted elections and the elimination of voting machines. He also pointed to an 800-page report that he said contains evidence supporting his election claims.
Throughout the litigation, Lindell maintained that his public statements were protected by the First Amendment and repeatedly said he would continue questioning election security and the use of electronic voting systems.
Lindell has previously estimated the lawsuit cost him roughly $20 million in legal expenses while placing significant financial pressure on both himself and MyPillow during the years the case remained pending.
The settlement marks the conclusion of one of Dominion’s last high-profile defamation cases arising from the aftermath of the 2020 election. The company previously reached a $787.5 million settlement with Fox News and resolved several additional lawsuits involving Trump allies.
Dominion also underwent a major corporate change during the litigation. Last year, the company was acquired by Liberty Vote, led by former Republican election official Scott Leiendecker, though the lawsuit against Lindell continued until this week’s settlement, per Trending Politics.
Lindell still faces additional legal challenges. Earlier this year, a federal jury in Colorado found him liable for defaming former Dominion executive Eric Coomer and awarded Coomer approximately $2.3 million in damages.
Lindell has said he intends to appeal that verdict. He also remains involved in separate litigation brought by voting technology company Smartmatic while MyPillow continues to face additional financial and legal pressures unrelated to the Dominion lawsuit.
With the confidential settlement finalized and the dismissal entered with prejudice, the years-long legal battle between Dominion and Lindell has officially concluded, closing one of the most closely watched defamation cases connected to the 2020 presidential election.
