A judge has denied a request by Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO, to recover a cellphone seized by the FBI in September.
Lindell is a longtime ally of former president Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 elections based on false allegations of fraud. His phone was seized during a search warrant. He was not charged with any crimes.
According to U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud, a Trump appointee, the Justice Department has reasons to keep Lindell’s phone as part of an investigation into a breach of Colorado voting systems after the 2020 elections.
Tostrud also denied Lindell’s effort to gain access to the affidavit justifying the seizure. The judge argued that the document has sensitive material that could undermine the ongoing investigation if accessed by Lindell and potentially other targets of the investigation.
The judge rejected Lindell’s allegations that he has been harmed by losing access to his phone, pointing out to the fact that Lindell had previously confirmed he backed up his data to his iCloud account days before the FBI seizure.
