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☆ The man behind Trump World’s myth of rigged voting machines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +32 min

He publicly announced his purchase of Montgomery’s data in August at a gathering in Missouri of hundreds of his followers. “I own it,” Lindell said of Montgomery’s data, touting it as irrefutable proof Trump was cheated. On Nov. 9, far-right podcaster Joe Oltmann linked Montgomery’s Hammer and Scorecard claims to a parallel conspiracy theory: that widely used voting machines manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems were rigged to flip votes from Trump to Biden. Powell amended her complaint a few days later and dropped the expert’s declaration and the references to Montgomery’s claims. But the government said in a recent court filing that the order has nothing to do with election data.

☆ Mike Lindell is back on Twitter. From conspiracy theories to attempting to dodge a ban — here's why he was kicked off in the first place.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell had his Twitter account reinstated after Elon Musk's takeover. Lindell was originally suspended for violating Twitter's civic integrity policy, and later for trying to evade the ban. A close ally of Trump, Lindell reportedly offered support and advice to the former president in his final days in office. Evasion banLindell briefly re-emerged on the social-media platform in May after he seemingly created an alternative Twitter account. Since being removed from Twitter, Lindell has also launched his own social media platform, Frank Social, and a streaming platform called Frank Speech.

☆ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is back on Twitter following the reinstatement of more banned accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

MyPillow's Mike Lindell has returned to Twitter after several more banned accounts were reinstated. Upon his return, the pillow salesman once again called for voting machines to be melted down. The Trump ally continually pedaled baseless theories that voting machines were used to tamper with the results of the 2020 election. Thank you @elonmusk and by the way MELT DOWN THE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES AND TURN THEM INTO PRISON BARS!" The CEO's first tweet came hours after Musk suspended the Twitter accounts of multiple high-profile journalists.

WASHINGTON — A QAnon believer who chased U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman on Jan. 6, 2021, and apparently believed he was storming the White House will be sentenced Friday after he was convicted in September. He was one of the first 10 rioters to enter the Capitol during the insurrection. On Jan. 6, Jensen recorded videos from the base of the Capitol, where he proclaimed, inaccurately, that he was at the White House. “Storm the White House! If not for the "quick thinking" of Goodman, rioters would have been carried out of the building, he continued.

☆ Ronna McDaniel locked down votes for RNC chair despite the midterm debacle. Here's how she did it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

An ally, Richard Porter, an RNC member from Illinois, met with her in Washington to make sure she wanted to run for another two-year term. And the most ardent Trump critics among RNC members say McDaniel, Trump's pick for the post six years ago, is too close to him. Bill Palatucci, an RNC member from New Jersey, said he opposes McDaniel's re-election for that reason. For McDaniel to lose, an opponent would have to win the remaining undecided RNC members and swipe nearly two dozen avowed McDaniel backers. Lori Klein Corbin, an RNC member from Arizona who hasn’t committed to any candidate, said McDaniel hasn’t asked for her vote yet.

“What we do need is our voters need to vote early,” McDaniel, a longtime Trump ally, said during a televised interview on Fox News. McDaniel said the RNC has "perfected" the practice in states where it's legal before making her broader point about taking advantage of early and mail-in voting. He continues to raise false and unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, in part through vote-by-mail programs in battleground states. Early voting there has shattered records, suggesting an edge for Warnock. Trump, who handpicked McDaniel as RNC chair after the 2016 election, has not weighed in on the upcoming race.

☆ Rupert Murdoch will be deposed in a $1.6 billion defamation case involving Dominion Voting Systems, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dominion Voting System is pursuing a $1.6 billion defamation case against Fox News. The lawsuit claims the network amplified false claims surrounding the 2020 election results. Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Fox Corp., will be the most senior executive to be deposed in the case. Dominion Voting Systems has filed several other defamation lawsuits regarding claims its machines helped rig the 2020 election. Attorneys for Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he will take no salary if he gets elected as RNC chair
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell says he won't take a paycheck from the Republican National Committee if he's elected chair. Lindell told Insider he has secured support in at least six states for his bid for RNC chair. "But I would not take a paycheck from the RNC, I'd put all the money back into it," Lindell told Insider on Monday. Lindell also told Insider he's been reaching out to every delegate in the RNC since he announced his run last week. Yeah, I think I do," Lindell told Insider.

☆ Ronna McDaniel has an 'F' grade track record as RNC chair, says Mike Lindell, as he ramps up his campaign to replace her
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mike Lindell is running for RNC chair and believes the incumbent gets an "F" grade for her performance. The MyPillow CEO and Trump ally said Ronna McDaniel's RNC had failed badly in past elections. Lindell said he would fire the RNC's lawyers and raise more money than ever before. In an interview with former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis on Wednesday, Lindell said that Republicans had a poor election record under McDaniel, giving her an "F" grade. 2018: F, 2020: F, 2022: F. and it shouldn't be," he saidLindell said of the 2022 result: "I would rank that the absolute worst one and it should have been the biggest red wave in history."

☆ Mike Lindell is running to lead the Republican National Committee and unseat longtime foe Ronna McDaniel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is running for RNC chair against incumbent Ronna McDaniel. "With all my due diligence and in prayer, I am 100% running for RNC chairman against Ronna McDaniel," Lindell said. Former President Donald Trump, Lindell's longtime ally, hasn't yet publicly supported his bid against McDaniel. Lindell told Insider that he hasn't spoken to Trump about the matter yet. As for McDaniel, she has signaled that she plans to run for another term as RNC chair, per Politico.

☆ Fact Check-Election graphs published by Mike Lindell do not indicate U.S. voter fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

A series of graphs published by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell on his social media channels and livestreams appearing to show real-time U.S. midterm election updates do not indicate or prove fraud, experts told Reuters. Lindell published four graphs on his Instagram account purporting to show real-time vote counts during the elections. But such ‘spikes’ seen in graphs using unofficial election data do not indicate or provide proof of fraud, with races rarely officially called on election night (here). The four graphs appearing to show real-time midterm election data do not point to fraud or nefarious activity. Visualizing unofficial vote counts in real-time where the incoming data may be non-uniform in distribution can lead to apparent “spikes” in graphs, experts told Reuters.

☆ Mike Lindell says he'll drop 'everything' and fly to lobby Elon Musk in person to unban him from Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell wants to sit down for an ask-me-anything with Elon Musk. He told Insider that he wants to show Musk "evidence" that could reverse his Twitter ban. Lindell also told Steve Bannon that if Musk wants free speech on Twitter, he should be let back on. Everyone's got their Twitters back and so on," Lindell told Bannon. "I want to show him the evidence of why Twitter kicked me off," Lindell told Insider.

☆ Stephen King jokes that Mike Lindell's My Pillow will soon be the only advertiser left on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Stephen King has slammed Elon Musk on Twitter again. "Pretty soon the only advertiser left on Twitter will be My Pillow," the best-selling author tweeted on Tuesday, referring to the bedding company led by controversial Donald Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell. Musk responded to King's latest jibe with a joke poking fun at the tweet: "Is My Pillow actually a great pillow? Despite Elon Musk reinstating some banned accounts last week, Lindell's Twitter suspension has yet not been lifted. "Speaking of bad jokes, Elon Musk says Trump can get back on Twitter," the author said on Monday.

☆ 50 of Twitter's top 100 advertisers have pulled out of the platform since Elon Musk took over, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Half of Twitter's top 100 advertisers have stopped promoting on the platform, per Media Matters. Since 2020, those 50 companies have spent $2 billion on Twitter advertising. Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, and Meta are among those who have pulled their advertising budgets away from Twitter, according to Media Matters. The list of all 50 is available in Media Matters' report. Insider has reached out to all 50 companies for comment.

☆ Smartmatic subpoenas Trump's lawyer Christina Bobb in election conspiracy lawsuit against Fox News and Rudy Giuliani
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Smartmatic subpoenaed Christina Bobb as part of its lawsuit against Fox News and Rudy Giuliani. Bobb pushed election conspiracy theories while simultaneously working for OAN and with Trump's lawyers. Smartmatic has other parallel lawsuits pending against election conspiracy theorists Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell. A defamation lawsuit against OAN from Dominion, a rival election technology company also caught up in conspiracy theories, alleged Solomon "was in fact a convicted felon with no college degree." At the same time Bobb worked for OAN, she freelanced for Trump's personal attorneys, including Giuliani, to help with legal challenges against the election results.

☆ Don Jr. missed Trump's 2024 campaign launch because he was hunting and couldn't get a flight, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump launched his 2024 bid at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was notably absent despite being a major supporter. Former President Donald Trump formally launched his 2024 bid for the Republican nomination at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday evening. Don Jr. tweeted clips of his father's campaign announcement on Tuesday evening, and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was at the launch party in Mar-a-Lago. Kushner did attend the presidential campaign launch on Tuesday night.

☆ Trump faithfuls Roger Stone and Mike Lindell were at his 2024 announcement, but very few members of Congress made an appearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Friends and family close to former President Donald Trump were present for his 2024 announcement. Also absent were three of Trump's children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Tiffany Trump. Trump loyalists in attendance included his former adviser Roger Stone and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Also in attendance were Trump family members Barron Trump, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all seen walking into the event together. Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Jared Kushner, and Barron Trump enter Mar-a-Lago where Donald Trump announced his 2024 presidential campaign on November 15, 2022.

☆ Mike Lindell's attempt to get his phone back from the FBI has been shut down by a judge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A judge has shut down Mike Lindell's attempt to get his cell phone back from the FBI. In the Thursday ruling, the judge also rejected Lindell's request to access an affidavit. In September, Lindell sued the FBI and DOJ for seizing his phone, claiming they had violated his rights. On Thursday, the US District Court judge Eric Tostrud also rejected Lindell's request to access the affidavit that justified the seizure. He also demanded that his cell phone be returned and that any information obtained from his phone was not released.

☆ Special Report: Voting-system firms battle right-wing rage against the machines
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

Across the country, election officials have received hundreds of threats or menacing messages that cite debunked conspiracies involving the machines. Some have alleged without evidence that Dominion machines were rigged in plots involving Chinese communists, Venezuelan socialists or Antifa, the loosely organized U.S. anti-fascist movement. Among those calling for Louisiana to ditch Dominion machines is the state’s Republican National Committeewoman, Lenar Whitney. Authorities in the heavily Republican state acknowledge that their aging Dominion machines, most of them bought in 2005, are outdated. Dominion machines remain in use in 14 of Nevada’s 17 counties.

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☆ Mike Lindell Can’t Get Back the Phone Seized by FBI, Judge Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A federal judge rejected MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s request to get his phone back from the FBI. A federal judge rejected MyPillow Inc. Chief Executive Mike Lindell ’s motion to have his phone returned, after it was seized by the FBI in connection with a criminal investigation. U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud also denied on Thursday Mr. Lindell’s request to bar the Federal Bureau of Investigation from using any information retrieved from the phone. Mr. Lindell’s motion seeking access to the affidavit filed by federal investigators to obtain the search warrant to seize the device was also rejected.

But the door knockers didn't explain where to vote or promote a candidate, the usual work of canvassers ahead of a big election. At another, they listed names of registered voters and demanded to know if they still lived at the address. In at least one state, Michigan, they plan to use their list of alleged irregularities to challenge voters in the Nov. 8 election. Reuters identified at least 23 state-wide or local efforts where canvassers may have crossed the line into intimidation, according to election officials and voting rights lawyers. This August, people affiliated with USEIP were also canvassing in La Plata County, according to the county clerk.

☆ At least 7 Republicans vying for a spot in Congress this November were at the Capitol on January 6
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Several Republican candidates for Congress have ties to the January 6 Capitol attack. Van Orden at the time wrote that he had been in Washington, DC, for "meetings and to stand for the integrity of our electoral system as a citizen." A representative for Van Orden did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Smith won a crowded primary against seven other Republican candidates in May and secured Trump's endorsement in September. Jeff Zink is up against Democratic incumbent Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District.

☆ Paul Pelosi's suspected attacker, David DePape, had hazy political ties and fell down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories about COVID-19, the global elite, and election fraud, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked on Friday morning. Police identified David DePape, a 42-year-old Berkeley, California, resident as the suspect. Online activity from DePape showed he espoused conspiratorial views, according to reports. The San Francisco Police Department said DePape broke into the Pelosis' home and assaulted Paul Pelosi with a hammer. DePape has a winding past that mysteriously leads up to an apparent fixation with extremist views, according to reports.

☆ Conservatives and anti-vaxxers are frantically lobbying Elon Musk to lift Twitter bans on their idols after he took over
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An assortment of conservatives are lobbying Elon Musk to undo Twitter bans on prominent allies. Musk has said he opposes permanent bans and plans to roll back moderation on Twitter. But Twitter is enforcing legal sanctions on the networks in the EU and UK which prevents people seeing their content. Twitter has said it never shadowbans anybody, though Musk said Friday he was "digging in" to the allegations. Evolutionary biologist and podcaster Bret Weinstein, who has long questioned COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, also called for Musk to reinstate anti-vaxxer Dr Robert Malone.

☆ Trump spent the day complaining on social media while lawmakers of both parties condemned the assault on Pelosi's husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But Trump spent the day posting on social media, including complaints about his legal woes. The attacker was reportedly looking for the House Speaker, who is one of the most vilified lawmakers by the far right in the US. Trump used Twitter to spread baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, among other topics, which the suspect had apparently parroted to some degree on their social media. Police identified the suspect in the assault on Pelosi as David DePape. He posted conspiracy theories on social media, according to CNN, including on COVID-19 vaccines, the 2020 election, and the January 6 attack.

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