Mike Lindell is refusing to pay the state-mandated fee for a recount and audit of ballots cast in Minnesotas Republican gubernatorial primary, escalating a legal and political clash over election procedures.
Lindell, the MyPillow founder and a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, contends that the Secretary of States office has proposed an unlawful recount process, his campaign said Monday. According to Just The News, Lindell finished second to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and had said on Wednesday that he would personally cover the $825,000 recount fee, as first noted by CBS News.
Secretary of State General Counsel Lauren Bethke set Monday as the deadline for Lindell to submit the recount request and payment. Lindells campaign maintains he was prepared to pay but withheld the funds because of a dispute over the recounts scope.
State officials plan to recount only votes cast for Lindell and Demuth, rather than all ballots in the Republican primary, a limitation Lindells team argues violates Minnesota law and undermines election transparency. Lindell is asking the state to waive the payment deadline until a court can determine whether the narrower recount plan complies with statute.
Cassondra Knudson, spokesperson for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, said the office produced a recount plan after it was approved by the State Canvassing Board on August 18. That plan, Knudson said, follows state law, a position that sets up a direct legal confrontation with Lindells broader demand for a full primary review.
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