DOJ Investigates Electronic Voting Company Smartmatic for Allegedly Bribing Election Officials in the Philippines

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is conducting an investigation into the business activities of Smartmatic, an electronic voting company that oversees elections across the globe.

The DOJ is investigating whether or not Smartmatic violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, barring U.S. citizens and companies from bribing foreign officials.

“Companies working in the election industry always face scrutiny and inquiries,” Smartmatic attorney J. Erik Connolly said in an email response to the news.

“Smartmatic has cooperated with the authorities since learning about this inquiry and will continue to do so. It is important to note that it has nothing to do with election security or integrity. We have been informed that it is on business in Asia almost a decade ago by one of our subsidiaries there,” he added.

Smartmatic is being accused of paying off at least one official in order to gain contracts to oversee the country’s 2016 presidential election through an intermediary. Their law firm allegedly paid off Andrew Bautista, the country’s former election commissioner, in 2017 after they had received the contract. Bautista is denying all the charges, and now lives in the U.S. after resigning in late 2017 amidst an investigation into his finances.

Big League Politics reported on how electronic voting firms like Smartmatic and Dominion were part of a federal power grab to oversee national elections before the stolen 2020 presidential vote:

After the election, many so-called national experts have proclaimed that the 2020 vote was the most secure in history as they plot desperately to avoid legitimate inquiry.

“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Right now, across the country, election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result,” the members of Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee said in a statement.

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