US prosecutors charge Smartmatic in alleged $1M Philippines bribery case (Connecting the Dots: Argentina, Venezuela, Philippines, Open Society Foundations, Smartmatic & Soros Funding, All Networking)
The
Associated Press
By
JOSHUA GOODMAN
Updated
2:52 PM PDT, October 16, 2025
https://apnews.com/article/smartmatic-bribery-charges-philippines-97a1c66eaedf769ad0e64a52166be90b
“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.”
As
part of the criminal case, prosecutors in August sought the court’s permission
to introduce evidence they argue shows that revenue from a $300 million
contract with Los Angeles County to help modernize its voting systems was
diverted to a “ slush fund” controlled
by Pinate through the use of overseas shell companies, fake invoices and other
means.
They
also accused Pinate of secretly bribing Venezuela’s longtime
election chief by giving her a luxury home with a pool in Caracas. Prosecutors
say the home was transferred to the election chief in an attempt to repair
relations following Smartmatic’s abrupt exit from Venezuela in 2017 when it
accused President Nicolas Maduro ’s
government of manipulating tallied results in elections for a rubber-stamping
constituent assembly.
A
hearing on the purported evidence tied to Los Angeles and Venezuela will be
held next month however none of the accusations are mentioned in the
superseding indictment signed by Jason Reding Quinones, the new Trump-appointed
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Smartmatic
was founded more than two decades ago by a group of Venezuelans who found early
success running elections while the late Hugo Chavez, a devotee of electronic voting,
was in power. The company later expanded globally, providing voting machines
and other technology to help carry out elections in 25 countries, from Argentina to Zambia.
But
Smartmatic has said its business tanked after Fox News gave Trump’s lawyers a platform to paint the
company as part of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election.
Fox
said it was legitimately reporting on newsworthy events but eventually aired a
piece refuting the allegations after Smartmatic’s lawyers complained.
Nonetheless, it has aggressively defended itself against the defamation lawsuit
in New York — arguing that the company was facing imminent collapse over its
own internal misconduct, not due to any negative coverage.
Connecting
the Dots:
Noah Mamet is the U.S. ambassador nominee for Argentina
and the founder of Noah Mamet & Associates, LLC.
Noah
Mamet & Associates, LLC is a fundraising contractor for the Bill,
Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary &
Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
George Soros is the founder
& chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a member of
the Bretton Woods Committee and a board member for the International
Crisis Group.
Mark Malloch-Brown is global
board member for the Open Society Foundations and the CEO for Smartmatic (electronic voting system used in the United States).
Moises Naim is a global board
member for the Open Society Foundations, a member of the Bretton
Woods Committee, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace (think tank), a board member for the International
Crisis Group and a minister of trade and industry for Venezuela.
Fidel V. Ramos was a board
member for the International Crisis Group and the president for
the Philippines.
George Soros is a board member for
the International Crisis Group, the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Open Society Foundations was a funder
for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and
the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
Stuart E.
Eizenstat is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United
States (think tank), a trustee at the Committee for Economic
Development and a lobbyist for the Philippines.
Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic
Development and the Attorney General of New York.
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Committee
for Economic Development.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for Committee
on Economic Development and Refugees International.
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a director emeritus
for Refugees International.
Frank G. Wisner is
a director emeritus for Refugees International and was a U.S.
ambassador for the Philippines.
Michael H.
Armacost was a U.S. ambassador for the Philippines and the
president of the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for Brookings
Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society, is the founder &
chairman for the Open Society Foundations and a board member for
the International Crisis Group.
Mark Malloch-Brown is global
board member for the Open Society Foundations and the CEO for Smartmatic (electronic
voting system used in the United States).
Moises Naim is a global board
member for the Open Society Foundations, a board member for
the International Crisis Group and a minister of trade and industry
for Venezuela.
Fidel V. Ramos was
a board member for the International Crisis Group and the president
for the Philippines.
Michael H.
Armacost was a U.S. ambassador for the Philippines and the
president of the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for Brookings
Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder &
chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for
the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Mark Malloch-Brown is global
board member for the Open Society Foundations and the CEO for Smartmatic (electronic voting system used in the United States).
Noah Mamet & Associates, LLC is a fundraising contractor for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Noah Mamet is the founder of Noah Mamet & Associates, LLC.
and the U.S. ambassador nominee for Argentina.
Resources:
Past Research
Ban
calls for more funds for typhoon-hit Philippines (Past
Research on the Philippines)
Monday,
December 23, 2013
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/12/ban-calls-for-more-funds-for-typhoon.html
Obama
bundler nominated as ambassador to Argentina has never been to the country (Past Research on Argentina)
Saturday,
February 22, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/02/obama-bundler-nominated-as-ambassador.html
New
York AG Letitia James Indicted on Federal Charges (Connecting the Dots: Letitia
James, Fannie Mae, Judge Arthur Engoron, Judge Sparkle Leah Sooknanan, Judge
Juan Merchan, Lisa Cook, The Committee for Economic Development & Soros
Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Letitia
James & the Committee for Economic Development)
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/10/new-york-ag-letitia-james-indicted-on.html
Working
Together to Help Refugees (Where does that money go?) (Past
Research on Refugees International)
Thursday,
August 31, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/08/working-together-to-help-refugees-where.html
Judge:
Newsmax Did Not Target Smartmatic; Details Criminal Allegations, Venezuela Ties
(Connecting the Dots: Past Research on Smartmatic, Venezuela, Morton Halperin,
Mark Halperin, ONE Campaign, Sidley Austin LLP & Soros Funding, All
Networking) (Past Research on Smartmatic)
Monday,
September 16, 2024
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2024/09/judge-newsmax-did-not-target-smartmatic.html
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