Federal prosecutors have charged voting technology firm Smartmatic with money laundering and other crimes, alleging that company executives paid more than $1 million in bribes to election officials in the Philippines to secure contracts and payments for the country’s 2016 presidential election.
The superseding indictment, filed Thursday in federal court in Florida, marks the first time Smartmatic itself has been named as a defendant in the long-running corruption case. Three former executives — including co-founder Roger Piñate — were charged last year, accused of orchestrating the payments between 2015 and 2018. Piñate, who remains a shareholder but no longer works at the firm, has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege the bribes were intended to ensure Smartmatic’s participation in the Philippines election and to expedite payments from the government.
Company Denies Charges, Alleges Political Motive
In a statement Thursday, Smartmatic denied wrongdoing and said it believed the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami had been “misled and politically influenced by powerful interests.”
“This is again, targeted, political, and unjust,” the company said. “Smartmatic will continue to stand by its people and principles. We will not be intimidated by those pulling the strings of power.”
The case is being led by Jason Reding Quiñones, the new Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Alleged ‘Slush Fund’ and Overseas Bribes
Prosecutors previously said they intend to introduce evidence showing that revenue from a $300 million contract with Los Angeles County to modernize its voting systems was diverted to a “slush fund” controlled by Piñate through fake invoices and offshore shell companies. They also accused him of secretly bribing Venezuela’s former election chief by gifting her a luxury home in Caracas to mend relations after Smartmatic’s 2017 exit from the country, when it accused President Nicolás Maduro’s regime of manipulating vote counts.
Those allegations were not included in Thursday’s indictment, but a hearing on the potential evidence is scheduled for next month.
Background: Defamation Fight With Fox News
The criminal case unfolds as Smartmatic pursues a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, accusing the network of broadcasting false claims that it helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Smartmatic contends those claims devastated its business and reputation.
Fox has denied wrongdoing, arguing it was covering “newsworthy events” and later aired a segment refuting the allegations after Smartmatic objected. The network has also suggested Smartmatic’s financial struggles stem from “internal misconduct,” not its reporting.
Founded more than two decades ago by Venezuelan entrepreneurs, Smartmatic once provided election technology in more than two dozen countries — from Argentina to Zambia — before becoming a flashpoint in global political battles over voting integrity.
