Lindell Wants Recount After Losing Primary, Says He'll Pay

Mike Lindell, who lost Minnesota's Republican primary for governor by about 45,000 votes, now wants every ballot recounted—and says he'll pick up the tab. The MyPillow CEO announced Wednesday that he'll seek a full hand count, arguing it could lead to eliminating electronic voting machines, which he claims without evidence are vulnerable to hacking, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. The results were certified on Tuesday.

Lindell, a prominent backer of President Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election, again pointed to supposed "irregularities" in electronic reporting but offered no supporting evidence, and state officials haven't flagged problems. Minnesota typically funds recounts only in razor-thin races, so this one would be on Lindell. The secretary of state's office estimated a recount would cost $825,000, per MPR News. Lindell's broader election-fraud claims have already landed him in a massive defamation fight with voting tech firm Smartmatic, which is seeking $1.5 billion in damages.