Smartmatic Faces U.S. Federal Charges Over Alleged Bribery Scheme in the Philippines

Voting technology firm Smartmatic has been charged in U.S. federal court in Florida with money laundering and foreign bribery, marking a major development in an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption tied to elections in the Philippines. Federal prosecutors named Smartmatic’s parent company, SGO Corp, as a defendant in the case, which also includes three former executives accused of paying bribes between 2015 and 2018 to secure government contracts.

According to prosecutors, the executives allegedly funneled $1 million in bribes to a former Philippine election official using a slush fund created through inflated invoices for voting machines used in the 2016 Philippine elections. These payments were reportedly disguised in financial documents through coded language.

Smartmatic, however, denied all allegations, describing the charges as “wrong on the facts and wrong on the law.” The company stated that it has cooperated extensively with investigators and accused prosecutors of being “politically influenced by powerful interests.” Smartmatic vowed to contest the charges and expressed confidence that it would be cleared.

Among those charged is Smartmatic president and co-founder Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, who, along with other defendants, has pleaded not guilty. Pinate called the indictment legally deficient and asked the court to dismiss it. Federal prosecutors in Miami have not commented on the case.

The indictment comes as Smartmatic is also pursuing a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox Corporation and several commentators, alleging that Fox falsely claimed Smartmatic’s machines rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Fox has denied wrongdoing, asserting that its coverage was protected by the First Amendment and constituted fair reporting on a matter of public concern.

This case intensifies scrutiny on election technology companies and raises broader questions about transparency, governance, and political influence in global election systems.