A federal judge has ordered conservative podcaster Joe Oltmann to pay more than $90,000 in attorney fees and sanctions over his misconduct during a defamation lawsuit tied to his false claims about the 2020 election.
U.S. District Court Senior Judge William J. Martínez issued two orders on July 28 and 29, imposing:
-
$37,000 in sanctions for Oltmann’s walkout during a court-ordered deposition
-
$53,757 in legal fees to cover plaintiff Eric Coomer’s costs in litigating Oltmann’s repeated defiance of court orders
Judge Martínez sharply criticized Oltmann’s conduct, calling his actions “recalcitrant” and showing “utter contempt for the judicial system.”
Origin of the Lawsuit
The case stems from Oltmann’s unsupported allegation that he overheard Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer on an “antifa” call after the 2020 election, claiming Coomer had said, “Don’t worry about the election, Trump is not gonna win. I made f-ing sure of that.”
Oltmann offered no credible evidence, but repeated the story on various platforms. Despite federal agencies confirming no evidence of election interference, Oltmann’s claims fueled defamation lawsuits against him and others who amplified his story—including media figures, Trump’s campaign team, and his legal allies.
Contempt and Penalties
Oltmann’s behavior throughout the legal proceedings only escalated tensions. He left a deposition midway, refused to comply with document requests, and later mocked the judge involved—referring to Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella, who is Hispanic, as a “radical left DEI.”
Martínez had previously fined Oltmann $1,000 per day until he complied with court orders, rejecting a proposed $300 fine as insufficient.
Even during testimony in a separate case involving MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Oltmann admitted in court that he misled a judge and accused unknown individuals of wiping evidence online.
Jurors in that trial sided with Coomer.
Appeals and Final Judgment
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld the sanctions and criticized Oltmann’s attorney, Randy Corporon, for frivolous arguments. The panel gave Martínez the go-ahead to award appellate legal fees.
Martínez noted Oltmann’s claim that he had only recently learned of Coomer’s fee request was “not credible.”
The judge’s latest orders reflect not only the ongoing cost of Oltmann’s defiance, but also a broader judicial pushback against election-related misinformation that has spilled into the courts.
With the settlement of Coomer’s case now in place, Oltmann’s financial and legal consequences appear far from over.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
Leave a Reply