According to a CNN arbitration tribunal decision, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell must pay $5 million to an expert who disproved his 2020 election data.
Lindell, an election conspiracist, promised a multimillion-dollar prize to any cyber security expert who could contradict his evidence. After suing Lindell, an arbitration panel awarded Robert Zeidman, a software developer with decades of experience, $5 million on Wednesday.
CNN obtained dispute-related arbitration records and video depositions, including Lindell's.
"Based on the foregoing analysis, Mr. Zeidman performed under the contract," the arbitration panel wrote. "He established Lindell LLC's data, which they said was from the November 2020 election, was not.
Mr. Zeidman was entitled to retrieve the $5 million prize for breach of contract. After publicly claiming widespread 2020 presidential election fraud, the MyPillow CEO's reputation has taken another hit. Lindell has been sued for electoral slander.
"The lawsuit and verdict mark another important moment in the ongoing proof that the 2020 election was legal and valid, and the role of cybersecurity in ensuring that integrity," said Bailey & Glasser, LLP founder Brian Glasser, who represented Zeidman.
"Lindell's claim to have 2020 election data has been definitively disproved." Lindell told CNN "this will end up in court" and criticized the media and electronic voting equipment.