Mike Lindell, a fierce Trump ally and the founder of MyPillow, says he’s willing to foot the bill for a full recount in Minnesota’s GOP primary for governor — a race he lost this month by 11 percentage points.In a brief phone call with NBC News on Wednesday, Lindell said that he had hired his own team to begin investigating the Republican primary, which state House Speaker Lisa Demuth won Aug.11, and that he reached out to the Minnesota secretary of state’s office that week to ask for a cost estimate for a full recount.The secretary of state’s general counsel, Lauren Bethke, informed Lindell in a letter Tuesday that a full hand recount and audit would cost about $825,000.Lindell, who has repeated debunked claims that voting machines rigged the 2020 election, told NBC News that he expects the overall amount to reach “upwards of $1 million” because of additional actions, including hiring his own team to investigate the race, a cost he said he is prepared to pay.The secretary of state’s office said Wednesday that it had not yet received an official request for a recount.
Bethke’s letter said Lindell must provide a recount request alongside “a bond, cash or surety” for the estimated cost by Monday to move forward.Lindell said he plans to “personally go in there myself” to deliver the official request Monday.He added that he is waiting for the office to confirm where each county would hold its recount, as he plans to send designated observers to the sites to oversee the process.Add to GoogleSen.
Amy Klobuchar to face Lisa Demuth in Minnesota gubernatorial general election01:50In a news release Tuesday, Lindell alleged that his team found several “irregularities” in the election data that he believes stem from the use of electronic voting machines.“Even if this recount and audit does not overturn my election for governor of Minnesota, I believe this is the gateway to getting rid of these electronic voting machines,” he said.Lindell, who...