Mike Lindell withholds payment for Minnesota primary race recount, citing dispute over process

Mike Lindell is withholding payment required to conduct a recount and audit of the ballots cast in the Republican primary for Minnesota Governor. 

Lindell, founder of MyPillow, argues that the Secretary of State's office has proposed an unlawful recount process, his campaign said Monday. 

Lindell finished second to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth in the race. He said on Wednesday that he'd personally pay the $825,000 required fee for the recount, CBS News reported. Secretary of State General Counsel Lauren Bethke set Monday as the deadline for Lindell to submit the request.

Lindell's campaign said he was ready to pay the cost, but due to a dispute over the scope of the recount, he had not submitted the payment. State officials intend to recount only votes cast for Lindell and Demuth and not all the votes cast in the Republican gubernatorial primary, Lindell's campaign said, which violates Minnesota law. 

Lindell is asking the state to waive the payment deadline until a court can rule on the scope of the recount. 

Cassondra Knudson, a spokesperson for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, said that the Secretary of State's office had provided a recount plan after it was approved by the State Canvassing Board on August 18. That plan, Knudson said, follows state law.