Justice Department Charges Smartmatic Executives in Philippines Bribery Scheme

Justice Department Charges Smartmatic Executives in Bribery Scheme

The Justice Department announced on Thursday that it has formally charged three current and former executives of Smartmatic, a well-known voting technology firm, for their involvement in a bribery scheme in the Philippines. According to the announcement, from 2015 to 2018, the president and co-founder of Smartmatic, Roger Piñate, along with other executives, allegedly funneled more than $1 million in bribes to Juan Andres Bautista, the former chairman of the Philippine elections commission. This illicit activity was aimed at securing and maintaining a contract for providing voting machines and election services during the 2016 Philippine elections.

A spokesperson for Smartmatic stated that two of the individuals charged, including Mr. Piñate, are still employed at the company but have been placed on a leave of absence. The spokesperson emphasized, “Our accused employees remain innocent until proven guilty.” Additionally, he clarified that “no voter fraud has been alleged, and Smartmatic is not indicted.” He further asserted that “voters worldwide must be assured that the elections they participate in are conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency.”

Smartmatic gained widespread recognition following the unfounded claims of vote rigging linked to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In response to these allegations, the company filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News in 2021, with the trial anticipated to take place in New York next year. Furthermore, a similar defamation case against the conservative network Newsmax is set to go to trial in Delaware in September.

According to the Justice Department, the bribes paid by Smartmatic executives were sourced from a slush fund created through the overcharging of voting machines. These funds were reportedly laundered through various bank accounts spread across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Both Mr. Piñate and another executive, Jorge Vasquez, have been charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits corporate bribery in foreign countries. Additionally, Mr. Piñate, Mr. Vasquez, and Mr. Bautista face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, along with three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments, as stated by the Justice Department.

In response to the charges, Mr. Bautista took to social media to assert his intention to fight for his exoneration in court. He expressed his belief that the charges against him were influenced by political motivations, writing, “I sense these charges were politically influenced by key Philippine officials.”