Voting machine company sues My Pillow and its pro-Trump chief

By Jan Wolfe

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Dominion Voting Systems Inc on Mondayfiled a defamation lawsuit against businessman Mike Lindell,chief executive of My Pillow Inc, for spreading false conspiracytheories that Dominion's machines rigged November’s presidentialelection.

The Denver-based company filed the case in federal court inWashington, seeking $1.3 billion in damages. Chaska,Minnesota-based My Pillow is named as a co-defendant in thelawsuit.

Dominion previously filed similar lawsuits against RudyGiuliani and Sidney Powell, two lawyers that promoted formerPresident Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread electionfraud.

"Acting in concert with allies and media outlets that weredetermined to curry favor with one of their biggest sponsors andto promote a false preconceived narrative about the 2020election, Lindell launched a defamatory marketing campaign aboutDominion that reached millions of people and caused enormousharm to Dominion," Dominion's lawyers said in the lawsuit.

A My Pillow representative did not immediately respond to anemail seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Lindell, a devout supporter of Trump, financed post-electionprotest movements in a bid to overturn President Joe Biden'svictory.

Lindell used his personal Twitter account, which had nearlyhalf a million followers before being suspended, and thecompany’s account to spread unsubstantiated claims of widespreadvoter fraud in the presidential election.

The founder and chief executive officer of the My Pillowcompany, Lindell’s political commentary and advertisements are aregular fixture on conservative media.

A self-described former cocaine addict and alcoholic whosays he found sobriety through Christianity, Lindell helpedsponsor a two-week March for Trump bus tour that ended inWashington on Dec. 14 and spoke at five stops.(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Noeleen Walder and AlistairBell)