Smartmatic Execs Charged with Bribery in Philippines
- Smartmatic executives charged with bribing Philippine election official.
- Alleged $1 million in bribes paid to former chairman of Commission on Elections.
- Justice Department reveals scheme to obtain contract for voting machines in 2016 elections.
The U.S. Justice Department has charged three executives from Smartmatic, a voting technology company, with bribery related to the 2016 Philippine elections. The indictment, filed in the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Smartmatic President Roger Piñate and executive Jorge Miguel Vasquez, along with others, funneled at least $1 million in bribes to Juan Andres Bautista, the former chairman of the Philippines' Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The charges include conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering. According to prosecutors, the executives allegedly overpaid contracts using a slush fund to disguise the bribes and laundered the funds through various international bank accounts. Both Piñate and Vasquez face significant prison time if convicted, with potential sentences of decades for money laundering and five years for FCPA violations. In response to the indictments, Smartmatic has placed the accused executives on leave, emphasizing that they remain innocent until proven guilty. Smartmatic has been under scrutiny since false claims of election rigging emerged during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, leading to defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax. The company reiterated that no voter fraud has been alleged and stressed its commitment to election integrity. Meanwhile, Bautista has publicly stated his intention to fight the charges, suggesting they may be politically motivated. The ongoing legal battles highlight the intersection of election technology, international business practices, and the integrity of democratic processes.