The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, Aug. 9, the indictment of three current and former executives of Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing right-wing media outlets over 2020 election coverage. Prosecutors said executives used a slush fund to bribe the former top election official in the Philippines, Andy Bautista, in exchange for “obtaining and retaining” business related to providing voting machines and services for the country’s 2016 elections.
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The bribes allegedly involved at least $1 million.
Bautista, who is indicted in another U.S. case, is in hiding. However, he did respond to the indictment on the social media platform X. In his post, he said that he is innocent, and the charges are politically motivated by Philippine officials.
Smartmatic also responded to the indictment by saying that the current employees indicted have been placed on leave but “remain innocent until proven guilty.” The company maintained that the charges do not involve voter fraud and the business itself is not indicted.
Smartmatic is currently suing several media personalities and news outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax, in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit over commentary that falsely accused the company of helping steal the 2020 election from former President Donald Trump.
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Both Fox News and Newsmax deny defaming anyone and argue that their election coverage is protected under the First Amendment.
While the media outlets did not respond to this latest indictment, lawyers for Fox News have previously argued during the criminal probe by the Justice Department that prosecution against top Smartmatic executives would harm the company’s public reputation and make it harder for Smartmatic to claim it is solely damaged by false accusations during the 2020 election.
The Newsmax-Smartmatic trial is set for September. Smartmatic’s case against Fox News isn’t expected to begin until next year.
Tags: 2016 Elections, 2020 elections, 2024 Elections, Election, Election security, Fox, Fox News, Philippines, U.S. Department of Justice, Voting machines
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE VOTING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY SUING RIGHT-WING MEDIA OUTLETS OVER 2020 ELECTION COVERAGE IS NOW EMBROILED IN ITS OWN CONTROVERSY.
THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INDICTED THREE CURRENT AND FORMER EXECUTIVES FROM SMARTMATIC ON CHARGES CONNECTED TO A BRIBERY SCHEME.
PROSECUTORS SAY THE EXECUTIVES USED A SLUSH FUND TO BRIBE THE FORMER TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL IN THE PHILIPPINES– ANDY BAUTISTA– IN EXCHANGE PROVIDING VOTING MACHINES AND SERVICES FOR THE COUNTRY’S 20-16 ELECTIONS. THE ALLEGED BRIBES AMOUNT TO AT LEAST ONE-MILLION DOLLARS.
BAUTISTA, WHO WAS INDICTED IN ANOTHER CASE IN THE U-S, IS CURRENTLY IN HIDING.
THOUGH HE RESPONDED TO THE INDICTMENT ON X– SAYING HE IS INNOCENT AND THE CHARGES ARE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED BY PHILIPPINE OFFICIALS.
SMARTMATIC RESPONDED, SAYING THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES INDICTED HAVE BEEN PLACED ON LEAVE BUT “REMAIN INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.”
THE COMPANY MAINTAINS THE INDICTMENT DOES NOT INVOLVE VOTER FRAUD AND THE BUSINESS ITSELF IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE INDICTMENT.
SMARTMATIC IS CURRENTLY SUING SEVERAL MEDIA PERSONALITES AND NEWS OUTLETS, INCLUDING FOX NEWS AND NEWSMAX.– IN A NEARLY THREE-BILLION DOLLAR DEFAMATION LAWSUIT– OVER COMMENTARY FALSELY ACCUSING THE COMPANY OF HELPING STEAL THE 2020 ELECTION FROM FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.
BOTH FOX AND NEWSMAX DENY DEFAMING ANYONE AND ARGUE THEIR ELECTION COVERAGE IS COVERED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
WHILE THE MEDIA OUTLETS DIDN’T RESPOND TO THIS LATEST INDICTMENT– LAWYERS FOR FOX NEWS AND NEWSMAX PREVIOUSLY SAID DURING THE CRIMINAL PROBE BY THE D-O-J– PROSECUTION AGAINST TOP SMARTMATIC EXECUTIVES WOULD HARM THE COMPANY’S PUBLIC REPUTATION.
AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR SMARTMATIC TO CLAIM IT IS SOLELY DAMAGED BY FALSE ACCUSATIONS DURING THE ELECTION.
THE NEWSMAX-SMARTMATIC TRIAL IS SET FOR NEXT MONTH.
SMARTMATIC’S CASE AGAINST FOX ISN’T EXPECTED TO BEGIN UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
FOR MORE ON THIS INDICTMENT AND UPCOMING CASES– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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