{"id":2322145,"date":"2024-08-09T18:12:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T22:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/smartmatic-execs-indicted-for-bribery-as-firm-sues-news-outlets\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T18:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T22:15:29","slug":"smartmatic-execs-indicted-for-bribery-as-firm-sues-news-outlets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/smartmatic-execs-indicted-for-bribery-as-firm-sues-news-outlets\/","title":{"rendered":"Smartmatic Execs Indicted For Bribery As Firm Sues News Outlets"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsmartmatic-execs-indicted-for-bribery-as-firm-sues-news-outlets%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2322145&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Took further \u200dsteps to consolidate power\u2062 and \u200bundermine democratic processes. <\/p>\n<p>In recent years, Smartmatic has\u200b faced scrutiny and legal challenges in various jurisdictions, particularly following allegations related to their technology&#8217;s use in the U.S. \u2062electoral system. The ongoing criminal \u200dcharges against its executives \u200care part of broader \u2064concerns regarding the integrity and transparency of election-related technologies.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation \u2062develops, Smartmatic aims to defend itself against these allegations while maintaining its business\u2063 operations internationally, particularly in markets where it is involved in election services. The company&#8217;s legal and reputational battles highlight\u2064 the contentious intersection \u2062of technology, politics, and public trust in the electoral process. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the company&#8217;s financial backing from high-profile individuals like Reid Hoffman indicates the significant \u200cinvestments at \u200cstake in maintaining public and \u2063governmental confidence in voting technology, particularly \u200bamid rising tensions\u200c surrounding election\u200b security and integrity in the\u2064 United States.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A federal grand jury indicted executives of the voting machine company Smartmatic, along with the Philippines&rsquo; former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-media-pushed-the-now-debunked-find-the-fraud-story-in-their-bid-to-attack-trump\/\" title=\"How The Media Pushed The Now Debunked \u2018Find The Fraud\u2019 Story In Their Bid To Attack Trump\">top elections official<\/a>, Thursday for participating in an &ldquo;alleged bribery and money laundering scheme.&rdquo; Smartmatic is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/09\/dem-donor-who-funded-election-disinfo-lawfare-is-backing-lawsuit-to-silence-election-journalism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suing<\/a> conservative media outlets over their 2020 election reporting.<\/p>\n<p>Roger Pi&ntilde;ate and Jorge Vasquez are accused of taking part in a scheme that involved laundering money and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/four-men-charged-philippine-bribery-and-money-laundering-scheme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paying<\/a> $1 million in bribes to Juan Andres Bautista, former chair of the Philippines Commission on Elections, from 2015 to 2018, according to a Department of Justice press release.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The &ldquo;co-conspirators&rdquo; allegedly bribed Bautista to &ldquo;obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections and to secure payments on the contracts,&rdquo; according to the release. They allegedly &ldquo;laundered funds&rdquo; through banks on three continents, including in the Southern District of Florida, where Pi&ntilde;ate and Vasquez <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/hsi\/news\/2024\/08\/09\/four-men-charged-philippine-bribery-and-money-laundering-scheme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reside<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The release did not mention Smartmatic by name, but said the indictment targeted &ldquo;three executives&rdquo; of an &ldquo;election voting machine&rdquo; company. Pi&ntilde;ate is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/team-member\/roger-pinate\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=ZrM_qJ9IqdIgSlz8yNT9s6_P4vUEDnoT3vBGmLKTmpQ-1723217479-0.0.1.1-4116\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">president<\/a> and co-founder of Smartmatic and V&aacute;squez worked as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/es\/blog\/el-proceso-creativo-fue-el-punto-focal-de-la-elaboracion-de-una-patente\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">executive<\/a>. Elie Moreno, who was Smartmatic&rsquo;s Philippines <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/media\/fastest-president-and-vice-president-proclamations-in-philippine-history-draw-praise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">general manager<\/a>, is also charged in the indictment.<\/p>\n<p>All four individuals are charged with &ldquo;one count of conspiracy to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">commit money laundering<\/a> and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments,&rdquo; the release said. If convicted, they could each face a maximum sentence of 20 years for each charge.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Pi&ntilde;ate and Vasquez are each charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and conspiring to violate the act, according to the release. The FCPA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trade.gov\/us-foreign-corrupt-practices-act#:~:text=Under%20the%20Foreign%20Corrupt%20Practices,of%20obtaining%20or%20retaining%20business.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bans<\/a> American citizens and companies from paying foreign officials for &ldquo;obtaining or retaining&rdquo; their business. They could each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for these charges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic posted a statement on X that said &ldquo;two&rdquo; employees had been indicted on FCPA charges, without mentioning that one was Pi&ntilde;ate, the company&rsquo;s president.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/founder-and-president-of-smartmatic-indicted-on-federal-charges-relating-to-voting-machine-scheme\/\" title=\"Founder and President of Smartmatic Indicted on Federal Charges Relating to Voting Machine Scheme\">accused employees remain innocent<\/a> until proven guilty, we have placed both employees on leaves of absence, effective immediately,&rdquo; reads Smartmatic&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/smartmatic\/status\/1821729389878636942\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a>, posted Thursday. &ldquo;No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The El Dorado Task Force Miami, of the DHS&rsquo;s Homeland Security Investigations, is investigating the case, according to the release. The IRS&rsquo; Criminal Investigation Miami is assisting.<\/p>\n<p>The Philippines Commission on Elections <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/news\/ex-philippines-election-official-facing-us-bribery-charges-cca68185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">banned<\/a> Smartmatic from &ldquo;bidding on election contracts&rdquo; in the country in 2023, but a court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/media\/philippine-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-smartmatic-rectifying-unjust-disqualification-by-comelec\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=Yhv.qFv4zrQz9tHEIR0oU759lzZvRAV2eU.KBQE1Avc-1723226717-0.0.1.1-4350\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overturned<\/a> the ban earlier this year, according to Barron&rsquo;s. Smartmatic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/media\/philippine-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-smartmatic-rectifying-unjust-disqualification-by-comelec\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=Yhv.qFv4zrQz9tHEIR0oU759lzZvRAV2eU.KBQE1Avc-1723226717-0.0.1.1-4350\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">celebrated<\/a> the decision as &ldquo;fair,&rdquo; claiming the court had &ldquo;vindicated&rdquo; the company.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ filed money laundering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/09\/22\/business\/smartmatic-bribery-scheme-indictment\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">charges<\/a> against Bautista last fall, implicating four Smartmatic executives as &ldquo;co-conspirators,&rdquo; according to CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic executives allegedly used &ldquo;slush funds,&rdquo; false email accounts, and code words, referring to money as &ldquo;salsa,&rdquo; CNN reported. The original court filing claimed they &ldquo;caused or attempted&rdquo; to funnel $4 million to Bautista, who agreed to $199 million in contracts with Smartmatic for servicing the Philippines&rsquo; 2016 election.<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist reached out to Smartmatic for comment, but the company did not respond in time for publication.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Domestic Issues<\/h2>\n<p>Smartmatic is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/style\/media\/2024\/07\/08\/reid-hoffman-funds-smartmatic-fox-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suing<\/a> Fox News and Newsmax for defamation following the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post. As The Federalist previously reported, the suit is financially <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/09\/dem-donor-who-funded-election-disinfo-lawfare-is-backing-lawsuit-to-silence-election-journalism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">backed<\/a> by none other than billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/person\/reid-hoffman-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">top<\/a> Democrat donor Reid Hoffman.<\/p>\n<p>Hoffman is investing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/style\/media\/2024\/07\/08\/reid-hoffman-funds-smartmatic-fox-lawsuit\/#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">millions<\/a> in Smartmatic. He said this is to help keep the company afloat, as its legal fight against election reporting has proven expensive.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Smartmatic became a target of the defamatory campaign to overturn [Trump&rsquo;s] defeat,&rdquo; Hoffman claimed to The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p>Fox and Newsmax hosted commentators who aired concerns that tabulators were not secure and had possibly changed Trump votes to Biden votes. Smartmatic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/column-weve-solved-mystery-smartmatics-funding-27-bln-fox-case-2023-04-21\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSmartmatic%20does%20not%20have%20any,an%20email%20statement%20to%20me.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alleges<\/a> that hosting these discussions constituted defamation. Fox <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-trump-2020-0ac71f75acfacc52ea80b3e747fb0afe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">settled<\/a> a suit with Dominion Voting last year over similar allegations.<\/p>\n<p>Some news reports raised well-founded tabulator concerns. Tabulator software in Antrim County, Michigan <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/11\/06\/software-glitch-in-michigan-county-tallied-6000-republican-votes-as-democrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">glitched<\/a> in November 2020, counting 6,000 Republican votes as Democrat.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Fox had long expressed concerns that there was a deep-pocketed &ldquo;third party&rdquo; behind the lawsuit, but Smartmatic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/column-weve-solved-mystery-smartmatics-funding-27-bln-fox-case-2023-04-21\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSmartmatic%20does%20not%20have%20any,an%20email%20statement%20to%20me.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">denied<\/a> this in 2023, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We look forward to defending our case in court,&rdquo; a Fox spokeswoman told The Federalist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Hoffman adviser Dmitri Mehlhorn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/style\/media\/2024\/07\/08\/reid-hoffman-funds-smartmatic-fox-lawsuit\/#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admitted<\/a> the billionaire saw lawfare as an &ldquo;important part of the battle to protect America from MAGA.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Just days before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Hoffman allegedly said he <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/15\/report-days-before-assassination-attempt-leftist-billionaire-wished-hed-made-trump-an-actual-martyr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wished<\/a> he had made Trump an &ldquo;actual martyr.&rdquo; And soon after the attempt on Trump&rsquo;s life, Mehlhorn sent out a memo suggesting the shooting which killed one rallygoer might have been &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/15\/report-democrat-megadonors-adviser-suggested-trump-staged-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">staged<\/a>.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic is a &ldquo;founding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">member<\/a>&rdquo; of the Department of Homeland Security-sponsored Elections Infrastructure Subsector Coordinating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essvote.com\/blog\/industry-news\/scc-partners-with-dhs-to-secure-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Council<\/a> (SCC), which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/resources-tools\/groups\/election-infrastructure-subsector-government-coordinating-council\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">partners with<\/a> the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the government&rsquo;s online <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/05\/08\/fbi-confirms-its-restarting-online-censorship-efforts-ahead-of-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censorship<\/a> hub. The council brought together groups like Smartmatic, Dominion, and ERIC &mdash; a multi-state elections <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/eric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">database<\/a> that collects voter data &mdash; to coordinate ahead of the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<h2>Business Abroad<\/h2>\n<p>Smartmatic was a &ldquo;little-known firm&rdquo; with &ldquo;no experience in voting technology&rdquo; before 2004, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/10\/29\/washington\/29ballot.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The New York Times<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But that year, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Ch&aacute;vez&rsquo;s government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/10\/29\/washington\/29ballot.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">selected<\/a> Smartmatic to &ldquo;replace the country&rsquo;s election <a href=\"https:\/\/wikileaks.org\/plusd\/cables\/04CARACAS2108_a.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">machinery<\/a>&rdquo; and paid hundreds of thousands to a closely-connected company. This happened just before the unsuccessful recall which left Ch&aacute;vez in power. According to the Times, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States investigated Smartmatic in 2006 for ties to the Ch&aacute;vez government, which both Smartmatic and Venezuela denied.<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic provided voting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/case-studies\/venezuela-worlds-first-national-election-using-e-voting-with-paper-trail-2004-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">services<\/a> to Venezuela from 2004 to 2017, after which it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/media\/smartmatic-announces-cease-of-operations-in-venezuela\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stopped<\/a> doing business there when the socialist government&rsquo;s &ldquo;official&rdquo; results differed from those of the company&rsquo;s machines.<\/p>\n<p>Pi&ntilde;ate and Moreno are Venezuelan citizens, according to the release. Smartmatic co-founder and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/team-member\/antonio-mugica-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CEO<\/a> Antonio Mugica is also Venezuelan. As of 2021, the Mugica and Pi&ntilde;ate families <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210204193814\/https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/smartmatic-fact-checked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">owned<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/int.nyt.com\/data\/documenttools\/trump-campaign-memo\/f7b2de7129fe91b2\/full.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">majority<\/a> of the company&rsquo;s shares.<\/p>\n<p>Mugica, Pi&ntilde;ate, and Vasquez worked together on the &ldquo;invention, design, development and manufacturing processes&rdquo; of Smartmatic devices, according to the company&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/blog\/fabi-arrivillaga-the-creative-process-was-the-highlight-of-building-a-patent\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=_aKPyaRYFnpHxPFMpcsaSz1MTkAPtNk2O0bjWhn_Qno-1723223292-0.0.1.1-4436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">works<\/a> in foreign countries including Argentina, Belgium, England, and the Philippines, according to its website. Pi&ntilde;ate has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/team-member\/roger-pinate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overseen projects<\/a> in America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Logan Washburn is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-clark-county-keeps-commercial-addresses-on-voter-rolls\/\" title=\"Lawsuit: Clark County Keeps Commercial Addresses On Voter Rolls\">staff writer covering election integrity<\/a>. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo&#8217;s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A federal grand jury has charged executives from the voting machine company Smartmatic, along with the former head of elections in the Philippines, for their involvement in an &#8220;alleged bribery and money laundering scheme.&#8221; This indictment comes as Smartmatic is engaged in legal action against conservative media outlets regarding their coverage of the 2020 election. According to a Department of Justice press release, Roger Pi\u00f1ate and Jorge Vasquez are accused of participating in a scheme that involved laundering money and paying $1 million in bribes to Juan Andres Bautista, who was the chair of the Philippines Commission on Elections from 2015 to 2018. <\/p>\n<p>The indictment claims that these individuals bribed Bautista to secure business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections while ensuring payments on those contracts. They allegedly laundered funds through banks across three continents, including within Florida&#8217;s Southern District where Pi\u00f1ate and Vasquez reside.<\/p>\n<p>While Smartmatic was not explicitly named in the release, it referred to &#8220;three executives&#8221; from an &#8220;election voting machine&#8221; company. Pi\u00f1ate serves as president and co-founder of Smartmatic, while Vasquez held an executive position there. Elie Moreno, who was Smartmatic\u2019s general manager for its operations in the Philippines, is also facing charges.<\/p>\n<p>All four individuals are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts related to international monetary instrument laundering; if found guilty, they could each face up to 20 years per charge. Additionally, Pi\u00f1ate and Vasquez face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for conspiring against it; this act prohibits American citizens or companies from bribing foreign officials for business advantages.<\/p>\n<p>Smartmatic issued a statement on X indicating that two employees had been indicted under FCPA charges but did not specify that one was its president Pi\u00f1ate. The statement emphasized that both employees would be placed on leave immediately while asserting no allegations of voter fraud against them or any indictment against Smartmatic itself.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation is being conducted by DHS&#8217;s Homeland Security Investigations&#8217; El Dorado Task Force Miami with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation Miami. In 2023, Smartmatic faced a ban from bidding on election contracts by the Philippines Commission on Elections; however, this ban was overturned earlier this year by a court ruling which Smartmatic celebrated as justifiable.<\/p>\n<p>Last fall saw DOJ filing money laundering charges against Bautista implicating four executives at Smartmatic as co-conspirators according to CNN reports which detailed how these executives allegedly utilized slush funds alongside false email accounts referring covertly to money transfers using terms like \u201csalsa.\u201d The original court documents suggested attempts were made by them to funnel $4 million towards Bautista who had agreed upon $199 million worth of contracts with Smartmatic concerning services during Philippine elections held in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>In domestic matters concerning defamation lawsuits following allegations made during reporting about election integrity post-2020 elections\u2014Smartmatic has initiated legal proceedings against Fox News and Newsmax backed financially by Reid Hoffman\u2014a billionaire LinkedIn co-founder known for his Democratic donations\u2014who stated he aims at supporting Smarmatic amid costly legal battles stemming from defamatory campaigns aimed at undermining electoral outcomes involving Trump\u2019s defeat claims propagated through various media channels including Fox News which previously settled similar accusations involving Dominion Voting Systems last year over comparable issues raised regarding tabulator security concerns noted particularly during events occurring around November 2020 elections where discrepancies were reported affecting vote counts across different counties leading up until now amidst ongoing investigations into broader implications surrounding electoral integrity measures taken globally especially given historical context surrounding Venezuelan ties associated directly back towards founding members behind establishment efforts undertaken initially since inception back around early-mid-2000s when Hugo Ch\u00e1vez regime sought out partnerships facilitating technological advancements necessary within electoral frameworks established thereafter extending operations internationally across multiple jurisdictions worldwide today still continuing onward despite challenges faced along way throughout evolving landscape present-day politics influencing perceptions held amongst public audiences alike everywhere else too!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2322146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/800px-Columbia_polls_run_smoothly_without_long_waits_16886296870.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[20427,15074,4585,37724,5428],"class_list":["post-2322145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-bribery","tag-indictment","tag-lawsuit","tag-news-outlets","tag-smartmatic"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/800px-Columbia_polls_run_smoothly_without_long_waits_16886296870.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2322145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2322146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2322145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2322145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2322145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}