Twitter has permanently suspended My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account following his continued unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Twitter said in a statement shared with multiple news outlets on Monday that the platform banned Lindell due to “repeated violations” of its civic integrity policy.
Lindell, a vocal supporter of former President TrumpDonald TrumpSchumer: Impeachment trial will be quick, doesn’t need a lot of witnesses Nurse to be tapped by Biden as acting surgeon general: report Schumer calls for Biden to declare climate emergency MORE, has continued to advance claims that the election was “stolen,” even after President Biden was sworn into office last week.
Twitter’s civic integrity policy prohibits posts that “may suppress participation or mislead people about when, where, or how to participate in a civic process.”
“You may not use Twitter’s services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes,” the policy states, with five or more violations of the policy resulting in a “permanent suspension.”
Twitter earlier this month permanently banned Trump from its platform, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence,” following the deadly Jan. 6 rioting at the Capitol. Just before the siege, the former president repeated claims of a rigged election in remarks to his supporters.
Lindell, popularly known as the “My Pillow guy,” has already faced previous condemnation for advancing unsupported claims surrounding the 2020 election.
Last week, Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by Trump and his allies following the election, threatened Lindell with legal action, writing in a letter to Lindell that he has been a leader of an “misinformation campaign” against the voting machine company. On Monday, Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy GiulianiThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – GOP senator retires Dominion Voting Systems files .3B defamation suit against Giuliani The next hustle: What we should expect from Trump MORE, over claims about the company.
Lindell also came under scrutiny after he was photographed leaving a meeting with Trump at the White House earlier this month. Zoomed-in shots of the images, taken by a Washington Post photographer, show the partially visible notes appearing to mention “martial law if necessary” and the “Insurrection Act,” an 1806 law that allows the president to mobilize the military and National Guard troops to quell civil disorder or actions of insurrection.
Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s and other retailers have since dropped My Pillow products, though a Bed Bath & Beyond spokesperson told The Hill in a statement that the decision was part of a larger effort to “discontinue a number of underperforming items and brands.”