President Trump ally Mike Lindell said Wednesday that he plans to seek compensation through the Department of Justice’s newly created “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” arguing that his company suffered massive financial losses after he became one of the most prominent supporters of Trump’s claims about the 2020 election.
Lindell made the announcement during an appearance on Lindell TV, saying his company and employees were financially devastated following years of legal battles, public backlash, and scrutiny tied to his election-related activism.
“We had three third parties look and do an evaluation of MyPillow, what it was prior to all these attacks and what it is now,” Lindell said during the broadcast. “And all of them averaged $400 million that it cost the brand and cost MyPillow. And it’s just horrific that our own government could do this to the American dream.”
He continued, “This company was built on the American dream and made in the USA and to have this happen. It will be a blessing to actually get some of these, my employees made whole that were stockholders in MyPillow. And even a lot of them that have lost their jobs, you know, that were affected then and all this.”
Lindell’s comments come just days after the Department of Justice announced a $1.776 billion compensation fund intended to provide relief for individuals who claim they were victims of government “weaponization” or “lawfare.” The five-member commission overseeing the fund will be empowered to issue formal apologies and monetary compensation to qualifying applicants, though the administration has not yet clearly defined eligibility standards.
The program emerged from a settlement involving President Trump’s now-withdrawn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and has generated controversy because of questions surrounding who may ultimately benefit. Critics have questioned whether the fund could become a vehicle for compensating Trump allies, while supporters argue it provides a mechanism for individuals who believe they were improperly targeted by the federal government.
Lindell appears to be among the first high-profile figures publicly announcing plans to pursue compensation.
According to reports, other Trump allies considering claims include Michael Caputo and former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. Vice President J. D. Vance also suggested Tuesday that Tina Peters could potentially qualify for compensation.
Lindell spent years aggressively promoting claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump, despite courts repeatedly rejecting allegations of widespread fraud and election officials finding no evidence that fraud altered the outcome of the race.
The MyPillow CEO said he personally spent approximately $25 million supporting election-fraud claims and financed a three-hour programming block on One America News Network that aired a documentary promoting election conspiracy theories.
His activism led to a wave of fallout extending beyond politics.
Multiple major retailers, including several national chains, pulled MyPillow products from their stores amid consumer and political pressure campaigns. Lindell also became the target of multiple defamation lawsuits related to his claims about voting systems and election technology.
In one of the most notable cases, voting technology company Dominion Voting Systems sued Lindell for defamation, alleging he spread false claims accusing the company of manipulating election results. Smartmatic also filed litigation against him over similar allegations.
Lindell additionally drew scrutiny from congressional investigators over his involvement surrounding the events of Jan. 6, 2021. He helped organize activities surrounding Trump’s efforts to challenge the election outcome and later had his phone records subpoenaed by the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol attack.
The DOJ fund itself continues to face mounting legal and political challenges. Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn criticized the program this week, arguing it could create incentives for individuals involved in Jan. 6-related activity.
“Donald Trump is putting a retainer on a mob, on a militia that’s already showed the violence that they’re willing to enact on his behalf. And he’s incentivizing it, too,” Dunn said during an appearance on CNN.
Dunn and D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges have since filed suit seeking to block the Justice Department from moving forward with the payouts.
