In an apparent effort to mitigate damage, Smartmatic dispatched a couple of executives to Mexico City to brief the press on the rising suspicions surrounding their operations and how they secured a bid for biometric technology provision. Robert Cook and Jim Bell, identified by the Mexican press as Smartmatic representatives, stated today that the company has “participated in electoral processes in 70 countries… has never been sued by any government… and that President Obama voted using Smartmatic technology.” These three statements deserve closer examination:
It would be great, for the sake of Smartmatic’s own credibility, if Mr. Cook and Mr. Bell could provide a list of the 70 countries where Smartmatic has successfully participated. Particularly interesting are the business operations in European countries where Smartmatic has been involved, according to Cook. Smartmatic has never been sued by any government. However, how should we interpret the investigation initiated in Chicago in 2006, after local authorities discovered that Sequoia machines operated by Smartmatic “were not functioning properly”? Furthermore, what should be made of Smartmatic’s decision to abandon the Sequoia Voting System to avert further CFIUS investigations into its ownership structure and connections to the Chávez regime? President Obama voted using Smartmatic technology. Does this mean that Smartmatic continues to supply technology to Sequoia Voting Systems, despite announcing its sale?