New Voting Systems lawsuit

WASHINGTON: Dominion Voting Systems filed a defamation lawsuit yesterday against businessman Mike Lindell, chief executive of My Pillow, for spreading false conspiracy theories that Dominion’s machines rigged November’s US presidential election.

The Denverbased company filed the case in federal court in Washington, seeking $US1.3 billion $NZ1.78 billion in damages. Minnesotabased My Pillow is named as a codefendant.

Dominion previously filed similar lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, two lawyers who promoted former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud.

‘‘Acting in concert with allies and media outlets that were determined to . . . promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020 election, Lindell launched a defamatory marketing campaign about Dominion that reached millions of people and caused enormous harm to Dominion,’’ the lawsuit said.

Lindell said he was ‘‘happy’’ Dominion sued him because it would give him access to evidence he said would bolster his claims about the election.

Lindell, a devout supporter of Trump, financed protest movements in a bid to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory.

Lindell used his Twitter account, which had nearly half a million followers before being suspended, and the company’s account to spread unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the election.