MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell told Newsmax TV on Thursday that any money he might get out of potential slander damages from CNN and its host Anderson Cooper would go toward a new initiative he’s launching to help recovering addicts.
“I will take every dime of any money we get and put it to help addicts out there,” Lindell said on “Greg Kelly Reports.” “I was a former crack cocaine addict and I’m launching a Lindell Recovery Network that’s going to help millions of addicts.
“I’m launching this thing called The Return at the end of the month in Washington, D.C., and it’s going to be the biggest national day of prayer and repentance ever.”
Lindell has demanded a retraction from CNN and Cooper for the host’s accusations during an Aug. 18 interview in which he called Lindell a “liar” and “snake oil salesman” regarding the botanical extract oleandrin as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
Lindell, who sits on the board of directors of Phoenix Biotechnology — which has applied for approval from the Food and Drug Administration — has promoted the extract as a potential COVID-19 treatment to White House officials including President Donald Trump.
Lindell’s attorney, Lin Wood — who famously defended wrongly accused security guard Richard Jewell of detonating the Atlanta Olympic bomb — has written CNN Executive Vice President David Vigilante warning that “Cooper's false and defamatory accusations are actionable” and that he intended “to seek legal redress.”
A recovering addict since 2009, Lindell said he was using his personal experience to help others who are in similar circumstances as he was in.
“I’m using my story to help people with my Lindell Recovery Network that I set up, which involves hundreds of thousands of churches, it involves faith-based treatment centers all across the country. My passion is to help people, get them to the Lord.”
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