What changed
2026-08-05 01:43 UTC → 2026-08-07 03:54 UTC ·
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In late June By early August 2026, MyPillow founder and Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Mike Lindell faced scrutiny after distributing pillows and books had stepped down from day‑to‑day duties at a Fourth of July parade, raising questions about compliance with state campaign‑finance rules. Around the same time, Dominion Voting Systems—operating as Liberty Vote—dismissed its $1.3 billion defamation suit against Lindell with prejudice; the parties later settled company, remaining on the case confidentially, also with prejudice, removing board and retaining a major legal hurdle. Former President Donald Trump endorsed minority stake while former executive James Furlong returned as CEO. Lindell on 15 July, calling him a “great and hard‑working Patriot.” A SurveyUSA poll released continued to focus on 21 July showed Lindell leading the Republican gubernatorial primary with 35 % support, a surge linked to slated for 11 August, buoyed by former President Donald Trump’s endorsement and recent fundraising. The same a July poll noted sportscaster Michele Tafoya that placed him ahead in the of his GOP U.S. Senate primary. On 22 July, rivals. The campaign remained under scrutiny. After an administrative law judge’s August 1 finding of prima‑facie evidence that Lindell’s Fourth‑of‑July pillow giveaway may have violated state campaign‑finance rules, a further ruling on 6 August found probable cause and sent the matter to a three‑judge panel for an evidentiary hearing. Lindell outlined denied wrongdoing, criticized media coverage and the state GOP, and announced a budget proposal to eliminate Minnesota’s state income tax. Meanwhile, Lindell’s six‑month immigration amnesty for undocumented residents in Minnesota. The plan plan, which would require registration for a grant conditional work visa, allow legal employment and tax contributions, but not grant voting rights, visas and impose prison terms penalties on employers who hire hiring undocumented workers for cash. The campaign‑finance controversy escalated on 1 August when an administrative law judge found prima‑facie evidence of a violation for the pillow giveaway and scheduled a probable‑cause hearing. cash, continued to shape his policy platform. The Minnesota Republican Party has also asked pressed the secretary of state to clarify the one‑year residency requirement after reports that Lindell remains registered to vote in Texas, a procedural hurdle he must resolve before the Aug. 11 primary. On 4 August, Lindell announced he would step down from day‑to‑day duties as MyPillow CEO, remaining on the board Lindell’s residency status, noting his Texas voter registration. The legal and retaining a minority stake while former executive James Furlong returned as chief executive. He said the move would let him devote procedural challenges intersected with his full attention to campaign momentum, keeping the governor’s race, which remains race highly contested by other GOP candidates despite the state party’s endorsement of a rival. another candidate.