The recent federal indictment of three current and former executives of Smartmatic has brought to light a scheme involving over $1 million in bribes to secure contracts for its voting machines in the Philippines. This development comes at a time when the company has been embroiled in controversy, particularly with allies of former President Donald Trump, who have made unsubstantiated claims about the company’s involvement in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
According to the Justice Department, Smartmatic’s co-founder Roger Piñate and a colleague allegedly funneled bribes to the chairman of the Philippines’ electoral commission through a slush fund created by overcharging for the cost of each voting machine supplied to authorities. These payments, made between 2015 and 2018, were intended to secure business with the Philippines and ensure timely payment for the company’s services.
To conceal the corrupt payments, the co-conspirators reportedly created a slush fund codenamed the “Philippines Pot” and sham loan agreements to justify transfers to bank accounts in various countries. A significant portion of the illegal payments was used by a family member of the chairman to purchase property in San Francisco. The investigation into the Smartmatic executives began in 2017 when the chairman’s wife disclosed unexplained wealth amounting to $20 million, some of which was found in cash at their residence.
Juan Donato Bautista, the former chairman of the Commission on Elections in the Philippines, was arrested last year on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding contracts worth nearly $200 million to an unnamed company for supplying voting machines for the 2016 presidential elections. Despite denying any involvement with Smartmatic or other entities, Bautista’s arrest led to the company being banned from bidding on election technology contracts for the 2025 Philippine election.
In response to the indictment, Smartmatic announced that it had placed the implicated employees on immediate leaves of absence. The company emphasized that no voter fraud allegations had been made against them and that it was not indicted. Smartmatic’s corporate motto, as highlighted by Piñate on his LinkedIn profile, underscores the company’s commitment to protecting election integrity.
Smartmatic’s legal battles extend beyond the bribery scandal, as the company has sued Fox News and other Trump allies for spreading false claims about its software altering the outcome of the 2020 U.S. election. The company’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News is reportedly funded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Additionally, Smartmatic has taken legal action against Rudy Giuliani and other individuals, with the claims against Giuliani currently on hold pending his bankruptcy case.
Despite the baseless allegations and legal challenges, fact-checkers have debunked claims linking Smartmatic to election manipulation. The company’s technology was only used in a single district in the 2020 U.S. election, and it has no affiliation with Dominion Voting Systems, another target of conspiracy theories. Smartmatic’s efforts to counter misinformation and defend its reputation against frivolous litigation underscore the importance of upholding transparency and integrity in electoral processes.
