A federal judge has upheld a $5 million arbitration award against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s company in a dispute with a software developer over election data. Lindell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, had claimed that the data he collected proved China interfered in the 2020 presidential election. The software developer, Robert Zeldman, entered a contest launched by Lindell to prove the validity of the data, but Lindell’s team said Zeldman did not win the contest. When Zeldman filed an arbitration, the panel of three arbitrators ordered Lindell to pay the $5 million award. Lindell plans to appeal the ruling, with the court noting that its responsibility was not to reevaluate the merits, but to ensure the arbitration panel acted appropriately.
Lindell, who is known for promoting false claims surrounding the 2020 election, offered $5 million through his company to anyone who could prove that the data he collected was not valid. When Zeldman submitted a report concluding that the data did not include information related to the 2020 election, Lindell’s team said he did not win the contest, leading to the arbitration. The court’s ruling, affirming the $5 million award, acknowledged that courts have limited authority in arbitration disputes and are not responsible for reevaluating the merits, but ensuring that the panel acted appropriately. Regardless of the court’s independent review of the information, it found no evidence that the panel exceeded its authority, leading to the confirmation of the arbitration award.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim stated that Lindell’s company must pay the $5 million award with interest within 30 days of the order, despite Lindell’s insistence that the breach of contract was not against him personally, but against his company, Lindell Management LLC. The Hill reached out to Lindell’s legal team for further comment.
