'Does not excuse his failure to pay': Judge finally reveals extent of contempt order against Mike Lindell, who claimed 'negative $18.7 million' net worth to stiff Smartmatic

Two weeks aft granting Smartmatic's question to hold MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell successful civilian contempt for his refusal to wage sanctions, a national justice successful Washington, D.C., has mostly unsealed his reasoning.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Donald Trump appointee, explained wherefore helium gave the voting instrumentality institution conscionable astir everything it asked for, including a "daily penalty" of $500 until the 2020 predetermination conspiracy theorist pays the $56,369 successful afloat and successful a "lump sum." That punishment was acceptable to footwear successful Wednesday if Lindell's "noncompliance" continued arsenic his "history" of it suggested it would, the order — issued connected March 24 but filed to the nationalist docket connected Tuesday — detailed.

Nichols referred to the information that helium ordered Lindell to wage in January 2025, much than a twelvemonth agone and counting, but alternatively than utilizing his $14.8 cardinal successful assets to wage arsenic ordered, helium claimed to person a "negative $18.7 million" nett worthy and spent $187,037.87 successful Minnesota gubernatorial run funds to bargain copies of his ain publication "What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO" from his ain institution MyPillow Inc. — conscionable to springiness the books away.

"That Lindell prioritized spending successful different ineligible proceedings implicit this case—despite those proceedings taking spot after the Court ordered him to wage Smartmatic for filing frivolous counterclaims against it—does not excuse his nonaccomplishment to wage here," the justice said, tacking connected a footnote that slammed Lindell's nonaccomplishment to explicate wherefore the "sanction should beryllium treated arsenic inferior to each his different outstanding liabilities."

"Because the grounds suggests that Lindell had capable funds to wage the authorisation aft it was issued and continues to bring successful wealth from assorted sources, helium has not met his load 'to nutrient grounds justifying his noncompliance,'" Nichols went on, crediting Smartmatic for "easily" coming up with "clear and convincing evidence" that Lindell violated a tribunal order.

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As grounds that Lindell knew helium had to travel the order, Nichols cited the pillow mogul's ain words erstwhile helium represented, "If I had the quality to pay, I would bash truthful immediately."

"Although Lindell provides documents purporting to beryllium that helium presently has a antagonistic nett worthy and that My Pillow is losing money, those documents are insufficient to found that helium 'lacked the fiscal quality to comply' successful airy of contrary grounds successful the record," the justice summed up. "Several pieces of unrebutted grounds exemplify that Lindell has paid for ineligible services successful different proceedings since the Court entered the authorisation bid against him."

Smartmatic agelong argued that Lindell had the funds to wage but helium simply chose not to retired of "disregard for this Court's orders, alternatively than genuine fiscal hardship," and Nichols agreed.

Read the bid successful afloat here.