MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has sued the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol to block the release of his phone records.
In his complaint filed Wednesday, Mr. Lindell, a staunch ally to former President Donald Trump, said the committee subpoenaed his service provider, Verizon, for the release of “all records of communications” from Nov. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021.
“Enforcement of the Subpoena would violate the rights of Mr. Lindell and of his sources to freedom of religion, speech, press, political expression, and to associate with others to advance their shared beliefs,” the complaint reads.
Mr. Lindell, who has embarked on a high-profile campaign to discredit the President Biden’s election victory, said that the subpoena also violates his right to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and that the demand for his phone records “exceeds the authority” of the committee.
The committee did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Lindell has spent millions and worked furiously to overturn the November election results.
Shortly after the November election, he claimed to have obtained multiple terabytes of data, which he says provides “irrefutable” evidence that hackers, backed by China, switched votes in favor of Mr. Biden.
Mr. Lindell has failed to provide such evidence, despite hosting a three-day “Cyber Symposium” over the summer and a 96-hour livestream on his website in November dedicated to proving his claims.
Still, he remains unabashed in challenging the election results.
“Mr. Lindell, in association with others who share his beliefs, has been and continues to be involved in efforts to raise awareness of alleged irregularities occurring in the November 2020 elections and to protect the constitutional rights of those who are speaking out about such issues,” his complaint reads.
Mr. Lindell said in his complaint that he “had no involvement whatsoever in the events that occurred at the Capitol” on Jan. 6.
He has not been subpoenaed by the committee, which has interviewed more than 300 witnesses and subpoenaed more than 50 individuals, and says the committee did not contact him directly before demanding his phone records from Verizon.
In December, the committee subpoenaed retired Army Col. James P. “Phil” Waldron, who was the leader of the “red team” assigned to interrogate the evidence that Mr. Lindell claims to possess.
Mr. Waldron was a prominent figure during Mr. Lindell’s three-day symposium, and is featured in a documentary backed by Mr. Lindell called “Absolute Proof: Exposing Election Fraud and the Theft of America Foreign and Domestic.”
The committee said in a letter accompanying its subpoena of Mr. Waldron that the retired colonel is linked to a 38-page PowerPoint presentation titled “Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for 6 JAN,” which circulated among Trump White House staff in the wake of the election.
The presentation was obtained by the committee in a trove of emails turned over by former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Mr. Lindell’s lawsuit adds to a growing number of complaints alleging that the committee has overstepped its bounds.
Several former Trump advisers — including Mr. Meadows, election lawyer Cleta Mitchell and conservative public interest lawyer John Eastman — have received letters from their wireless providers alerting them that the committee demanded records.
The committee also has subpoenaed phone records for those further outside of Mr. Trump’s inner orbit including Jan. 6 rally organizers and media personalities.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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