A judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is threatening further sanctions against “MyPillow guy” Mike Lindell for failing to pay damages to voting company Smartmatic after filing a frivolous lawsuit.

Mr. Lindell — a supporter of President Trump and candidate for governor of Minnesota — has faced numerous legal challenges after spreading disproven conspiracy theories about widespread electoral fraud tied to voting machines during the 2020 presidential election. Among Mr. Lindell’s claims is that electronic voting machines rigged the election. Smartmatic filed suit against him and Mr. Lindell countersued in 2021.

A judge ruled that Mr. Lindell’s countersuit was frivolous and ordered him to pay Smartmatic $56,369. Years later, the company says it hasn’t received a dime yet.

District Judge Carl Nichols again ordered Mr. Lindell to pay up in January 2025. In a March filing, Smartmatic asked the judge to hold Mr. Lindell in civil contempt claiming “Lindell still has not paid, nor has he meaningfully engaged in any discussions or negotiations regarding the terms of payment.”

In April, the judge told Mr. Lindell to explain why he was unable to pay the sanction. Mr. Lindell has claimed his fortune has vanished due to his work uncovering claims of election corruption. He testified in one trial that he once had a net worth of $60 million but is now millions of dollars in debt.

Mr. Lindell’s response to the judge was submitted as a sealed document to avoid public scrutiny. Smartmatic later filed a response with what it claimed was a more complete accounting of Mr. Lindell’s finances.

Months went by without payment and in October Judge Nichols again ordered Mr. Lindell to explain why he had not complied with the order.

In November, Mr. Lindell’s attorney filed a motion to seek an extension, claiming the legal team never received a copy of the order. The lawyer also informed the judge that Mr. Lindell had hired new representation and would be taking over the case.

Judge Nichols granted an extension to make sure the new lawyers were in place and received the documents.

On December 16, Smartmatic submitted a status report claiming “based upon publicly available documentation, Mr. Lindell had raised an additional $86,000 for his legal defense fund, totaling $448,819.” It also claimed that Mr. Lindell has raised $125,222 in defense funds related to a defamation lawsuit Smartmatic filed against Mr. Lindell in Minnesota.

Judge Nichols warned Mr. Lindell that he faces new sanctions if he doesn’t pay up promptly, Law and Crime reported. Smartmatic is still waiting for payment.

Mr. Lindell announced in December that he would run for governor of Minnesota. He joins a crowded Republican primary field. Governor Tim Walz announced this week that he was abandoning his campaign to seek a third term. Mr. Walz has been embroiled in a scandal over rampant Medicaid fraud tied to the state’s Somalian community which could have cost the state upwards of $9 billion.