An administrative law judge in Minnesota has ruled that there is probable cause to believe Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and candidate for Minnesota governor, violated campaign finance law by distributing free pillows at a public event last month. The ruling, issued Thursday by Judge Nicholas Lienesch, allows a complaint against Lindell to proceed to an evidentiary hearing before a three-judge administrative panel.
In his four-page decision, Lienesch wrote: "There is probable cause to believe that the pillows in this case were a thing of monetary value and were not explicitly exempted by any provision of the statute. There is probable cause to believe that the pillows were distributed in order to induce a voter to vote in a particular way at an election."
Background of the Complaint
The complaint was filed by Dan Fiskum, a Democrat running for state senate, who alleged that Lindell threw free pillows from his company at a Fourth of July parade in Delano, Minnesota. Under Minnesota law, it is illegal to give away or promise something of monetary value to induce a voter to vote in a particular way or refrain from voting. Food and beverages valued at less than $5 are exempt, but pillows are not explicitly exempted.
Lindell, a prominent ally of Donald Trump, is one of six Republican candidates in the Minnesota governor's race, facing competition from state House Speaker Lisa Demuth and GOP-endorsed candidate Kendall Qualls. The primary election is scheduled for next week, with the winner advancing to the November general election.
Lindell's Response
Reached for comment on Friday, Lindell dismissed the complaint as "complete nonsense." He claimed he had checked with Minnesota's campaign finance board before the giveaway and received approval. "We got everything completely OKed. This is just a catch-up right before the primary to put doubt in people's heads. We did everything right. There was no law broken, period," Lindell said. He added, "It's just an attack. It's disgusting."
On Tuesday, Lindell announced he was stepping down as CEO of MyPillow to focus on his gubernatorial campaign, calling it "one of the biggest decisions" of his life.
Legal Details and Context
Thursday's ruling does not definitively state that Lindell broke the law, but Lienesch noted he was assessing whether "sufficient facts exist in the record to believe that a violation of the law has occurred." Lindell has argued that the pillows, which came with campaign literature, were similar to typical campaign items like buttons or keychains. He also compared the giveaway to handing out his memoir, "What Are the Odds? From Crack Addict to CEO," at campaign events.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Lindell was asked about the value of the pillows to recipients. He responded that most went to children, saying, "Those little kids, they like a good night's sleep and hug that pillow," but acknowledged that sleep patterns "would be subjective between each individual." For adults, he said, "The gift of sleep, I don't know, it's all subjective. I don't think any one of them said: 'Oh I'm getting a value of $10 and I'm getting it for free.'"
Lindell's financial situation has declined in recent years, with his MyPillow fortune once valued at $300 million. He has faced defamation lawsuits and financial judgments related to his claims that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged.
Impact on the Race
The complaint adds another challenge to Lindell's campaign, which is already competitive with multiple candidates vying for the Republican nomination. The evidentiary hearing will further examine whether the pillow distribution violated state campaign finance laws, potentially affecting Lindell's candidacy. The primary election next week will be a key test for Lindell, who has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Trump's agenda.
