{"id":2323034,"date":"2024-08-12T11:19:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T15:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/smartmatic-brags-about-integrity-and-transparency-hours-after-president-indicted-for-fraud-doesnt-bother-to-deny-charges\/"},"modified":"2024-08-12T11:23:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T15:23:04","slug":"smartmatic-brags-about-integrity-and-transparency-hours-after-president-indicted-for-fraud-doesnt-bother-to-deny-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/smartmatic-brags-about-integrity-and-transparency-hours-after-president-indicted-for-fraud-doesnt-bother-to-deny-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Smartmatic Brags About &#8216;Integrity and Transparency&#8217; Hours After President Indicted for Fraud, Doesn&#8217;t Bother to Deny Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/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-brags-about-integrity-and-transparency-hours-after-president-indicted-for-fraud-doesnt-bother-to-deny-charges%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=2323034&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>The passage discusses the public relations response of Smartmatic, \u200ca <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dominion-sues-fox-news-for-1-6-billion-over-2020-election-coverage\/\" title=\"Dominion Sues Fox News For .6 Billion Over 2020 Election Coverage\">voting machine company<\/a>, following an indictment against its president and other executives for alleged bribery and \u2063money laundering related to the 2016 Philippine elections. The statement \u200bissued by\u200d Smartmatic was criticized as being disingenuous, focusing on the \u200dterm &#8220;employees&#8221;\u2064 to downplay the \u2062serious nature \u200bof the allegations. While the indictment\u200d did not name the company itself or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/official-election-data-drops-2020-bombshell-thousands-of-ballots-may-have-been-illegally-cast\/\" title=\"Official Election Data Drops 2020 Bombshell: Thousands of Ballots May Have Been Illegally Cast\">allege voter fraud<\/a>, it implicated high-ranking officials, including the co-founder and president, Roger Alejandro\u200c Pinate\u200d Martinez. \u2063The\u2063 indictment highlighted a scheme involving a slush fund created through overcharging for voting machines, which further contradicted Smartmatic&#8217;s claims of &#8220;integrity and transparency.&#8221; The company&#8217;s past \u2064controversies, especially related to \u200cthe 2020 U.S. presidential election,\u200c add to\u200d the scrutiny of\u200b its integrity. The piece ends \u2062by \u2063suggesting that the language\u200c used in Smartmatic&#8217;s \u200bstatement raises broader concerns about\u2062 honesty within the company&#8217;s executive leadership.  <\/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<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>When organizations issue public relations-style statements, they often raise more suspicions than they quell.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, in the wake of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/founder-president-smartmatic-indicted-federal-charges-relating-voting-machine-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">indictment<\/a> handed down on Thursday against its company president and others, the Florida-based voting machine company Smartmatic issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/blank\/in-relation-to-the-recent-doj-indictment\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=WjueeheUA5LzSydkFpaOIyT9ijyoHv62dyNzr3E3stk-1723465142-0.0.1.1-4137\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> that oozed chutzpah and thus made one wonder about company officials&rsquo; capacity for truth-telling.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the statement concluded with a remarkable boast of the company&rsquo;s &ldquo;integrity and transparency.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At first glance, of course, one might expect such a boast since the indictment did not name the company itself. Nor did the indictment allege voter fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, in light of the indictment&rsquo;s details, the Smartmatic statement qualified as highly disingenuous.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Smartmatic has learned that two of our employees have been indicted for alleged violations of the FCPA in the Philippines almost 10 years ago. Regardless of the veracity of the allegations and 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; the first half of the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Note the use of the word &ldquo;employees&rdquo; three times in two sentences. Such innocuous language might lead readers to believe that a few salesmen or middle-management types had defrauded a customer.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/four-men-charged-philippine-bribery-and-money-laundering-scheme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a> by the Department of Justice, the indictment named 49-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartmatic.com\/us\/team-member\/roger-pinate\/?__cf_chl_f_tk=.9xdVyggugD_NAIG612SbjV16QY4i0mHKfno7sJqlZk-1723467621-0.0.1.1-7103\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez<\/a>, president and co-founder of Smartmatic, as a suspect in &ldquo;an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme to retain and obtain business related to the 2016 Philippine elections.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The indictment also named two other company executives, 62-year-old Jorge Miguel Vasquez and 44-year-old Elie Moreno.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, these were not merely &ldquo;employees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the DOJ, 60-year-old Juan Andres Donato Bautista, former Chairman of the Commission on Elections of the Republic of the Philippines, allegedly received at least $1 million in bribes from the co-conspirators, who allegedly sought to &ldquo;obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The scheme allegedly involved a slush fund. In fact, the co-conspirators allegedly created the fund by overcharging for each voting machine. Then, they allegedly laundered the funds through Asian, European and American bank accounts. All the while, they allegedly referred to the slush fund using &ldquo;coded language.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Nothing says &ldquo;integrity and transparency&rdquo; like allegations of money laundering and a secret slush fund.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/sidney-powell-reveals-building-massive-rico-case-dominion-smartmatic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smartmatic<\/a>, of course, found itself at the center of controversies surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In 2021, the company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fox-news-cancels-lou-dobbs-tonight-smartmatic-hits-network-hosts-2-7-billion-defamation-suit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued<\/a> Fox News and others for defamation.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, Thursday&rsquo;s indictment had nothing to do with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/new-poll-alleges-20-mail-voters-admit-cheating-2020-media-silent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020 U.S. election<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, allegations of bribery and money laundering by the Smartmatic co-founder and president do not redound to the company&rsquo;s glory. Nor does a disingenuous statement about company &ldquo;employees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, on the social media platform X, author J. Michael Waller suggested that the statement had to have come from Smartmatic Chairman and CEO Antonio Mugica, and that Mugica deliberately concealed the names of Pinate and Moreno, the latter Mugica&rsquo;s brother-in-law.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/smartmatic?\">@Smartmatic<\/a> statement could come only from its Chairman &amp; CEO (and largest holder) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/antoniomugica?\">@antoniomugica<\/a>, who is covering up the fact that the two &ldquo;employees&rdquo; are his own President @ COO, Roger Pi&ntilde;ate, and his own brother-in-law, Elie Moreno. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FRdr54FP5N\">https:\/\/t.co\/FRdr54FP5N<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JMichaelWaller\/status\/1821930191691645323?\">August 9, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, when coupled with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-doj-gives-peter-strzok-lisa-page-2-million-texts-exposing-anti-trump-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOJ<\/a> allegations, the use of such obfuscating language as &ldquo;employees&rdquo; itself raises questions about other kinds of dishonest behavior in which company executives might engage.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p>   <script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When organizations release public relations statements, they frequently create more doubt than they alleviate. For example, following the indictment of its president and others on Thursday, the Florida-based voting machine firm Smartmatic released a statement that exuded audacity, prompting questions about the honesty of its officials. The statement notably concluded with an impressive claim regarding the company&#8217;s &#8220;integrity and transparency.&#8221; At first glance, one might expect such a declaration since the indictment did not mention Smartmatic directly or allege voter fraud. However, given the specifics of the indictment, Smartmatic&#8217;s assertion came across as quite insincere.<\/p>\n<p>The initial part of their statement read: \u201cSmartmatic has learned that two of our employees have been indicted for alleged violations of the FCPA in the Philippines almost 10 years ago. Regardless of whether these allegations are true and while our accused employees remain innocent until proven guilty, we have placed both employees on leaves of absence effective immediately.\u201d The repeated use of &#8220;employees&#8221; in just two sentences could mislead readers into thinking only minor staff members were involved in wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>In reality, according to a Department of Justice press release, Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez\u2014Smartmatic&#8217;s president and co-founder\u2014was named as a suspect in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme related to securing business for the 2016 Philippine elections. Two other executives from Smartmatic were also implicated: Jorge Miguel Vasquez and Elie Moreno.<\/p>\n<p>These individuals were not simply &#8220;employees.&#8221; The DOJ indicated that Juan Andres Donato Bautista\u2014the former Chairman of Elections in the Philippines\u2014allegedly received over $1 million in bribes from those involved who sought to secure contracts for providing voting machines and election services during those elections. This scheme reportedly included creating a slush fund by inflating prices on voting machines and laundering money through various international bank accounts while using coded language to refer to this fund.<\/p>\n<p>Such serious allegations surrounding money laundering contradict claims about &#8220;integrity and transparency.&#8221; Additionally, Smartmatic has faced scrutiny regarding controversies linked to its role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election; it even filed defamation lawsuits against Fox News among others in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that Thursday\u2019s indictment was unrelated to any events surrounding the 2020 U.S. election; however, accusations against Smartmatic\u2019s co-founder do not reflect positively on their reputation nor does their misleading portrayal concerning company \u201cemployees.\u201d On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), author J. Michael Waller suggested that this statement likely originated from Antonio Mugica\u2014the Chairman &amp; CEO\u2014and implied he intentionally obscured Pinate&#8217;s name along with Moreno\u2019s identity since he is Mugica\u2019s brother-in-law.<\/p>\n<p>Waller tweeted: \u201cThis @Smartmatic statement could come only from its Chairman &amp; CEO (and largest holder) @antoniomugica&#8230; covering up facts about his own President @ COO Roger Pi\u00f1ate and his brother-in-law Elie Moreno.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, when combined with DOJ allegations, such vague terminology like \u201cemployees\u201d raises further concerns about potential dishonesty among company executives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2323035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Smartmatic.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6983,5428,12404],"class_list":["post-2323034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-integrity","tag-smartmatic","tag-transparency"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Smartmatic.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323034","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2323034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}