Now, the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted three executives from Smartmatic on murder charges. As a result, they now face charges in the Philippines for allegedly conspiring to defraud the Philippine government. Smartmatic’s longtime president and co-founder, Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez Jr., was indicted. So too have former vice-president of hardware development, Jorge Vasquez, as well as Elie Moreno, who ran contracts for the company. These filings are the result of an ongoing and overall class action investigation into wrongdoings committed by the company’s executives. They’re calling into question the security of our election technology, both here in the U.S. and abroad.
Smartmatic and its executives are being prosecuted for allegedly conspiring with Jarltech International, a related manufacturer. Together, they purportedly defrauded the Philippine government of millions of dollars in inflated values for voting machines. Prosecutors allege that the misconduct extended during a string of years. In that time frame, they claim that more than $1 million in kickbacks were funneled to Juan Andres Bautista, who was responsible for carrying out the terms of the contract.
The indictment of Smartmatic’s executives comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the company’s role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, where Smartmatic’s machines were utilized. Following the election, former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims that both Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems manipulated election results.
Background on Indictments
It isn’t the only historical prosecution Smartmatic is going through in recent years. Just last year, Smartmatic sued Newsmax into submission for $40 million in defamation damages. They entered into a confidential settlement agreement with One America News. These ongoing legal battles have forced a closer look at the company’s practices and circumstances surrounding the company’s federal, state and local governmental allies.
Smartmatic’s technology was a critical piece of 2016’s Philippine elections. In January, they won a Department of Defense contract worth over $180 million to deliver upwards of 90,000 of these machines. Collaborating directly with Jarltech International, Smartmatic guaranteed the fundamental services that are scarce in electoral processes across the country.
These allegations are indeed shocking, but it is important to note that Smartmatic itself has not been charged with any illegal activity. Attention is still getting caught on the actions of the three executives charged in result of the indictment.
“The alleged actions in the federal matter are unrelated to the work performed under contract by Smartmatic for Los Angeles County.” – Logan
Continued Operations in Los Angeles County
Smartmatic now has a contract with Los Angeles County through March 2027. This agreement provides for three additional two-year extensions, making it possible to stretch it to 2033. The contract allows price increases up to 10% on the contracted amounts. This flexibility has led to fears of misuse of funds, lack of financial oversight, and reduced accountability.
Officials in Los Angeles County, where one of those contracts lives, have said they can’t see how Smartmatic uses money earned from its contracts. They’re more interested in validating the route mapped out. They ensure that all deliverable requirements are delivered in accordance with the contract requirements before approving any payments to be processed.
“The County has no knowledge or visibility into how Smartmatic USA used proceeds from that contract; however, the County does validate work performed and deliverable requirements aligned to the fixed price structure of the contract prior to making any payments.” – Logan
Michael Sanchez, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County, continued to stress that compliance and oversight are critical to contractual obligations.
“Logan had and continues to have clear responsibility for ensuring contract compliance.” – Michael Sanchez
Implications for Election Technology
While litigation against Smartmatic continues, there is a wider story here affecting the future of voting technology and public confidence in our electoral systems. If proven, the executives’ allegations could shift public opinion on voting integrity. This is particularly alarming in light of their history of involvement in historic elections, both domestically and internationally.
Smartmatic’s machines faced intense and unfounded scrutiny after the 2020 election, thanks to false allegations of fraud that have now been thoroughly discredited. Ongoing legal challenges are making it hard on its executives. To add insult to injury, public confidence in our electoral processes is on a razor’s edge.
“Inspecting any and all tasks, deliverables, goods, services, or other work provided by or on behalf of the Contractor.” – Asked why the project manager for the contract, whose job is …
As investigations unfold, stakeholders will be closely monitoring any developments related to Smartmatic’s contracts and its role within election systems. Depending on the result of these cases, we can set a precedent for stricter regulations on the use of unreliable voting technology and corporate accountability.