Movies

Executives at voting machine company Smartmatic indicted for alleged bribery scheme

BBG News

Executives at voting machine company Smartmatic indicted for alleged bribery scheme

As a seasoned movie critic who’s seen more than my fair share of political thrillers and dramas, I can’t help but draw parallels between this real-life drama unfolding at Smartmatic and the plotlines of some of Hollywood’s most suspenseful films. The intrigue, the corruption, the international connections – it’s all too reminiscent of a John Grisham novel or a Steven Soderbergh flick.

A grand jury in Miami has accused the co-founder of Smartmatic, a company producing voting machines involved in a separate lawsuit against Fox News for slander, of making $1 million worth of bribes to Filipino government officials.

On Thursday, the Justice Department disclosed an indictment stating that Smartmatic’s President, Roger Piñate, along with two other employees, are accused of making unlawful payments to a former commissioner of the Philippine elections committee. The objective was to secure their voting machines and services for use in the 2016 national election in the Philippines.

According to the department, the payments were sourced from an illegally established fund by the executives, who artificially increased the price of the voting machines. It’s claimed that this money was subsequently funneled through banking accounts located in Asia, Europe, and the United States, a process often associated with money laundering.

In this scenario, Jorge Vasquez, a Venezuelan national who was previously an executive at Smartmatic, along with former executive Elie Moreno, each face a single charge of conspiring to break the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This law prohibits companies from engaging in bribery activities overseas.

Smartmatic, a company located in Boca Raton, Florida, is pursuing defamation lawsuits against Fox News and rival network Newsmax. The firm claims these conservative broadcasters spread falsehoods about their voting machines being involved in voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. These allegations were promulgated by former President Trump and his associates.

During the 2020 presidential election, Smartmatic’s equipment was employed exclusively in Los Angeles County, as opposed to any of the locations where former President Trump alleged voter fraud took place.

1. Trial for the lawsuit between the company and Newsmax is set for September in Delaware. The ongoing lawsuit against Fox News, where Smartmatic seeks $2.7 billion in compensation, will likely be heard in a New York court next year, unless it’s resolved before then.

According to Smartmatic, it promptly put the two employees currently under indictment on temporary leave, effective straight away. Furthermore, they emphasized that this situation is unrelated to any allegations of voter fraud.

“The company stated that no accusations of voting irregularities have been made against them, and they have not been charged. It’s crucial for voters everywhere to know that their elections are being handled honestly and openly.”

Despite not providing any additional comments, it’s expected that Fox News will use the Justice Department indictment as part of their defense in the ongoing case. A spokesperson for Fox News indicated they are ready to argue their case in court.

Read More

2024-08-10 02:31

Previous post Section 31 director says the movie is a great place to start for those who’ve never seen Star Trek
Next post House of the Dragon season 2 home video release coming this November, with special features