“This is more of the same,” Smartmatic said in a statement. “A photocopy of the previous spurious indictment.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that it is indicting Smartmatic, claiming that the election technology company—once at the center of a slew of baseless conservative conspiracy theories—bribed officials in the Philippines.
According to CNN, the Justice Department has charged Smartmatic with bribery and money laundering. The indictment reportedly arises from an existing case that was filed last year against some of the company’s current and former executives, including its founder.
The charges relate to an alleged $1 million bribe paid to a top election official in the Philippines, allegedly for the purpose of securing contracts for the company’s 2016 elections.
“To finance the bribes, the co-conspirators allegedly created a slush fund by over-invoicing the cost per voting machine supplied for the 2016 Philippine elections,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release announcing the indictments. “To conceal the corrupt payments, they used coded language, created fraudulent contracts and sham loan agreements, and routed transactions through bank accounts in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., including within the Southern District of Florida.”
The indictment, notably, does not involve or assert that Smartmatic engaged in any form of voter fraud or election-rigging.
Smartmatic, which is still litigating defamation claims from the 2016 U.S. general election, said that the charges are an extension of the Trump administration’s longstanding and well-documented animus against the company.
“This is more of the same,” Smartmatic said in a statement. “A photocopy of the previous spurious indictment.”
“We believe the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has been misled and politically influenced by powerful interests, despite our extensive cooperation with the government,” the statement continues. “This is again, targeted, political, and unjust.
“Smartmatic will continue to stand by its people and principles,” the company said. “We will not be intimidated by those pulling the strings of power.”
CNN notes that Smartmatic machines are used in elections globally. However, in the United States, Smartmatic’s operations have generally been limited to the Los Angeles area.
Dean Logan, the top election official for Los Angeles County, told CNN that the county owns and controls its own voting systems but will “hold Smartmatic accountable for the terms and protections” of its ongoing contract with the company.
“The indictment is unrelated to the County’s administration of elections or the integrity of Los Angeles County’s voting systems, and the County’s contracts with Smartmatic were validated to ensure that all work was performed and requirements met,” Logan said. “Further, the County’s engagements with Smartmatic are fixed fee contracts with specific protection from the types of add-on fees and price inflation alleged in the activities cited in the indictment.”
Sources
DOJ indicts voting machine company Smartmatic over allegedly bribing Philippines official
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