Smartmatic Indicted For Alleged Bribery Scheme
(Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
Smartmatic, the voting machine company made famous following the 2020 election, was charged on Thursday over allegations of bribery and money laundering.
The Justice Department’s indictment stems from allegations of a decade-long scheme to bribe officials in the Philippines and is an extension of August 2024 charges against Smartmatic executives Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez and Jorge Miguel Vasquez, as well as a third executive Elie Moreno – who were all charged with foreign bribery and money laundering.
The Wall Street Journal explained that the new filing “added the parent company of Smartmatic, SGO Corporation Ltd., as a defendant in a criminal case earlier filed in Miami federal court against three Smartmatic executives. While employers face punishment for the misconduct of employees, criminal indictments of companies are rare. Corporations generally try to settle with prosecutors to avoid a trial and resume doing business.”
The new filing alleges that Smartmatic directed $1 million to top Philippine election officials as a bribe for government contracts in 2016. The company won lucrative contracts as a result, worth some $199 million, according to the DOJ.
Smartmatic has sued several right-of-center news outlets in the U.S. following claims of rigging the 2020 presidential election against President Donald Trump. The baseless claims led to lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax, the latter of which settled for some $40 million in damages. Smartmatic continues to sue Fox News for a whopping $2.7 billion.
