Final fall, the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit largely upheld courtroom ordered sanctions of roughly $150,000 in opposition to Sidney Powell, Lin Wooden, and different members of the “Kraken” authorized workforce that superior false and frivolous claims of their efforts to problem the 2020 Presidential election outcomes. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court docket denied Powell and Wooden’s petitions for certiorari with out remark. This could finish their efforts to oppose these sanctions (although different authorized proceedings in opposition to Powell and Wooden stay ongoing).
Yesterday, a federal choose in Minnesota affirmed a $5 million arbitration award in opposition to MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who had supplied a $5 million bounty to anybody who may debunk his alleged proof of Chinese language interference within the 2020 election. As I recounted final yr:
Robert Zeidman, a pc forensics professional who had apparently voted for Trump twice, took Lindell up on his problem. He analyzed the supposed proof and demonstrated it was a steaming pile of digital detritus, and never proof of any type of election interference. Certainly, he confirmed (as Lindell’s phrases required) that the info had nothing to do with the 2020 presidential election. Lindell, expectedly, refused to pay, and the matter went to arbitration. There, regardless of Lindell having written the phrases to make restoration troublesome, the arbitrators sided with Zeidman.
Lindell refused to pay, so Zeidman took him to courtroom, leading to yesterday’s judgment in opposition to the pillowmaker.
In response to information studies, Lindell nonetheless maintains that he owes nothing, and can enchantment. As with the 2020 election, Lindell appears to have an issue with proof and authorized conclusions that don’t align together with his priors. Additionally like Powell, Lindell faces different litigation, together with defamation claims.
Sadly for each Powell and Lindell, they could should bear the prices of their mounting authorized losses themselves. In contrast to Donald Trump, they don’t have a political social gathering and marketing campaign organizations that can cowl their authorized prices.