MINNEAPOLIS – The chopped-foam pillow executive Mike Lindell, who wants to be Minnesota’s governor, filed two actions in federal court against the Dominion voting machine company.

> Countersuit. Lindell’s company, MyPillow, filed a $1.6 billion suit against Dominion. The suit was retaliation to Dominion’s $1.3 billion libel suit against Lindell for his claims that Dominion jiggered its machines so President Trump would lose the 2020 election.

> Dismissal. Lindell sued to dismiss Dominion’s libel case.

The distinction between MyPillow and Lindell as plaintiffs in the suits seemed mushy. In a livestreamed broadcast announcing the actions, Lindell said: “This is a free-speech case. This is a First Amendment case.” Muddled was whether LIndell sees the issue as his personal freespeech or MyPillow’s corporate free speech. Dominion’s case is based on Lindell’s repeated but unsubstantiated conspiratorial assertions against Dominion. Its reputation, Dominion said, had been “irreparably damaged.” The company ’also has similar lawsuits against Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, attorney Sidney Powell and Fio News. About the suit. a Dominion attorney said: ″This is a meritless retaliatory lawsuit.”

Earlier: Lindell: Libel suit will prove election fraud

Earlier: Pillow Guy named in $1.3 billion libel suit

Libel suits

Defamation cases generally don’t survive in court if they involve public affairs, politics and governance. A significant exception is if the defamation recklessly disregards truth. Lindell’s claims that Dominion conspired to fix the 2020 election were made jn many forums, including a two-hour conspiratorial video documentary, “Absolute Proof.” The video has been widely faulted for leapfrogs in argumentation and lapses in logic. It has been banned on some online and cable channel platforms. Also it has failed numerous fact-checks.

Stakes

A $1.3 billion libel victory for Dominion would be the largest in U.S. history. It would wipe out Lindell’s estimated net worth of $300 million.