Smartmatic Founder Indicted for Alleged Bribery in Philippine Election Contract

Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, the founder of Smartmatic, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida for allegedly conspiring to pay a $1 million bribe to secure a contract for the 2016 elections in the Philippines. The indictment, which has not yet been made public, was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The charges suggest that the bribes were intended to facilitate contracts for voting machines and election services, as well as to expedite payments, including tax refunds. In a separate matter, Smartmatic has filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, claiming the network falsely accused it of collaborating with Dominion Voting Systems to manipulate the 2020 U.S. presidential election results. This lawsuit is set to go to trial next year, while Fox News has denied any wrongdoing in the allegations. Notably, the Justice Department's statement regarding the indictment did not reference Smartmatic or the 2020 election. Additionally, two other executives from Smartmatic, including a U.S. citizen and a former chairman of the Philippine election commission, have also been charged in connection with the alleged bribery scheme. In response to the indictment, Smartmatic announced that two employees have been placed on leave, emphasizing their innocence until proven guilty. Smartmatic, a major provider of voting systems globally, has reiterated its commitment to election integrity, stating that no voter fraud has been alleged against the company.