DOJ says Smartmatic funneled LA County money into slush funds used to pay bribes

News | By Easton Martin | August 20, 2025

Federal prosecutors revealed in a Florida corruption case that executives at Smartmatic, a UK based voting machine provider, may have directed surplus funds from a 2018 contract with Los Angeles County into slush funds previously used for bribery overseas. The county awarded Smartmatic $282 million to develop its voting system.

According to prosecutors, one executive transferred an unspecified portion of county money in 2019 into an existing slush fund tied to schemes in Venezuela and the Philippines, including alleged bribes to election officials there. The filings do not state whether any bribes were ultimately paid using those funds.

Prosecutors argue that the actions in Los Angeles demonstrate a broader pattern. They say Smartmatic executives overcharged for machines in international contracts and then funneled the extra money into accounts that were later used for illicit payments to secure government deals. While the filing highlights Los Angeles, Smartmatic itself is not currently charged.

Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder, said the county’s procurement was conducted through a competitive, fixed price process and that the county had no knowledge or visibility into how Smartmatic handled its funds.

The county barred the indicted executives from further involvement with the contract, but the agreement itself remains in place until 2027, with potential extensions to 2033.

The revelations come as Smartmatic is suing Fox News for defamation. Fox has argued that the company’s troubles stem from its own executives and questionable business practices rather than media coverage.

These developments lend credence to what Mike Lindell and other election integrity advocates have been warning about for years. Taxpayer money should never be vulnerable to secret accounts or international corruption schemes. 

It is worth remembering that just last year, three Smartmatic executives, including the company’s co-founder, were indicted in Florida on charges of bribery and money laundering tied to contracts in the Philippines. Prosecutors alleged the company overcharged for voting machines and funneled more than a million dollars in excess funds to bribe an election official.

America’s elections deserve transparency and accountability, and the time has come to rethink the role of foreign controlled voting machine companies in determining the outcome of American democracy.