Mike Lindell withholds payment for recount request in Minnesota GOP governor primary

Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, has refused to pay the $825,000 fee required for a recount of the primary election results. Lindell's campaign claims that the Secretary of State's office has proposed an unlawful recount process that violates state law. According to Lindell's campaign, the scope of the proposed recount would only include votes cast for him and the current frontrunner, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, excluding votes for other candidates in the race.

The campaign argues that the Secretary of State's office did not provide the full details of the planned recount until after the deadline for submitting the payment had passed. Lindell plans to personally cover the cost of the recount, which he believes is necessary to ensure a fair and transparent election process. However, the Secretary of State's spokesperson asserts that the proposed recount plan complies with state law and administrative rules on recount procedures.

The current vote tally shows that Lindell came in second place with 134,282 votes, while Demuth received 179,683 votes. No official findings of fraud or irregularities have been made in the primary results. Minnesota law requires an apparent losing candidate to submit a request for a discretionary recount with the necessary funds within five days of the canvass. Lindell is seeking a court ruling on the parameters of the proposed recount before the payment deadline is enforced.