Federal Judge Confirms Mike Lindell Defamed Smartmatic Amidst Election Integrity Battle

The recent ruling by a federal judge in Minnesota against MyPillow founder Mike Lindell marks a significant moment in the ongoing clash over election integrity and the freedom to question it. Judge Jeffrey Bryan unequivocally declared that Lindell made false statements defaming Smartmatic, an election technology firm whose machines were used in Los Angeles County during the contentious 2020 presidential race. Yet this decision is far from the end of the story. The court acknowledged unresolved disputes about whether Lindell acted with "actual malice"—a legal threshold requiring proof that he knowingly spread falsehoods or recklessly disregarded the truth. Lindell’s defense...