Secret Service agents are investigating a suspicious vehicle near the White House on Wednesday and detained the driver for questioning.
Fox News reported that a driver has been detained after crashing a van through a barricade near the White House on Wednesday morning.
Officers were dispatched to assist Secret Service agents at around 6:37 a.m. on Wednesday after a van drove through a security barricade near the presidential residence, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Car hops the curb after a crash right in front of the Herbert C. Hoover federal building at 14th Street & Constitution Ave NW. (along the National Mall)
Speculation on Capitol Hill is building that Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who is currently facing federal corruption charges, might consider switching parties if granted a presidential pardon. The potential shift has set political tongues wagging, fueled by Cuellar’s complicated legal battle and reactions from both sides of the aisle.
Who’s ready for some more tea on Capitol Hill?
I have some interesting news coming your way tomorrow…
It’s alleged someone is going to receive a pardon and flip from blue to red in the House of Representatives.
Now I fully believe that this person has only gotten indicted because of his wide open criticism of the current admin and his opposition to… https://t.co/WjCOGNNbca— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) December 26, 2024
Cuellar, a conservative Democrat, was indicted in May following a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice. The probe, linked to an ongoing corruption case, began after FBI agents raided his South Texas home and campaign office. While initial details were sparse, reports alleged that Cuellar cultivated relationships with Azerbaijani and Mexican business leaders, leveraging his congressional position to advance their interests in U.S. policy.
The indictment, if accurate, presents a damning picture. Between 2014 and 2021, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, allegedly accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an Azerbaijani state-owned oil and gas company and a Mexico City-based bank. Federal prosecutors claim these payments were funneled through bogus consulting contracts to shell companies under Imelda Cuellar’s name, with little to no actual work performed.
In exchange, Cuellar allegedly influenced U.S. foreign policy to benefit Azerbaijan and supported legislative activities favorable to the Mexican bank. The charges against the Cuellars are sweeping, with potential penalties stacking up as follows:
Two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and acting as an unregistered foreign agent (up to 5 years each).
Two counts of bribery of a federal official (up to 15 years each).
Two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years each).
Two counts of violating laws against unregistered foreign agents (up to two years each).
One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (up to 20 years).
Five counts of money laundering (up to 20 years each).
Both Henry and Imelda Cuellar have pleaded not guilty, with the congressman insisting his actions were focused on serving South Texans. Despite the charges, Cuellar secured an 11th term in November, showcasing his political resilience among his constituents.
President-elect Donald Trump has eagerly weighed in on the case. Writing on Truth Social shortly after the indictment, Trump accused the Biden administration of targeting Cuellar and his wife for his conservative stance on border policy.
“Biden just indicted Henry Cuellar because the respected Democrat Congressman wouldn’t play Crooked Joe’s open border game. He was for Border Control, so they said, ‘Let’s use the FBI and DOJ to take him out!’” Trump wrote, calling the administration “D.C. Thugs” and labeling President Biden a “threat to democracy.”
The drama surrounding Cuellar’s case, coupled with rumors of a potential party switch, has heightened tensions in Washington. Inside the Beltway, all eyes are on the congressman to see whether he will stay the course or make a stunning shift in a historically narrowly divided Congress.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald Trump has granted full pardons to his former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and several other key figures who were prosecuted for their roles in challenging the 2020 presidential election results — a move the White House called a step toward “national reconciliation.”
In a proclamation posted late Sunday night, U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin listed dozens of individuals granted clemency “for certain offenses related to the 2020 presidential election.”
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation,” the statement reads.
The list includes several prominent names long accused by Democrats and federal prosecutors of contesting the election: Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Boris Epshteyn, and others.
Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr
The proclamation, dated November 7, clarifies that it applies only to federal offenses and does not extend to President Trump himself.
Also included in the sweeping clemency order were Republican activists who had served as fake electors for Trump in 2020, and who faced charges for submitting fraudulent certificates asserting they were the lawful electors, despite former President Joe Biden’s victories in those states.
Those pardoned include Republican activists who had served as alternate electors in 2020 and faced prosecution for asserting that Donald Trump — not Joe Biden — was the rightful winner in their states. Many of these individuals have maintained they were exercising constitutionally protected political activity.
Legal experts noted that the pardons do not affect state-level prosecutions, including ongoing cases in Georgia against several of Trump’s allies. Critics have long argued that these state prosecutions were politically motivated and part of a broader effort to criminalize dissent.
“These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The Hill. “Getting prosecuted for challenging results is something that happens in communist Venezuela, not the United States of America, and President Trump is putting an end to the Biden Regime’s communist tactics once and for all,” she continued.
Giuliani was disbarred from practicing law in New York State and the District of Columbia for making numerous false claims related to the 2020 presidential election.
Several of those pardoned — including Giuliani and Powell — were instrumental in raising concerns about irregularities and integrity issues in the 2020 race. Giuliani, who was disbarred in New York and Washington, D.C., for questioning the election results, is now fully cleared of federal allegations.
Eastman, a constitutional scholar, and Clark, a former Justice Department official, were also included in the pardons after being unfairly portrayed as conspirators for exploring legal options available to the Trump campaign.
The move comes after Special Counsel Jack Smith dismissed the federal case against President Trump himself, following his reelection. Giuliani, Powell, Clark, and Eastman were previously identified as uncharged co-conspirators in that case.
Giuliani, Powell, Clark and Eastman were alleged co-conspirators in that federal case but were never charged with a federal crime.
(Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR
Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions Tuesday on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its senior trial lawyers, escalating the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based tribunal.
The new designations target ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese senior trial lawyer.
“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” Rubio said, according to CNN.
The sanctions generally block any property or financial interests the two officials have within the United States or under the control of U.S. citizens. Americans are also prohibited from conducting most transactions with them, effectively cutting Akane and Seye off from the U.S. financial system.
Rubio described the ICC as a corrupt, politically driven institution that has exceeded its authority. He said the sanctions were part of the administration’s “unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court.”
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. Israel is also not a member and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC nevertheless maintains that it can prosecute alleged crimes committed on the territory of member states, even when the accused comes from a country that has not joined the court. That jurisdictional dispute lies at the heart of Washington’s confrontation with the tribunal.
Trump Laid the Groundwork
President Donald Trump did not immediately issue a separate public statement on Tuesday’s sanctions. However, the White House established the administration’s position in a February 2025 executive order authorizing penalties against ICC personnel.
In that order, Trump accused the court of taking “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”
Trump said the ICC had endangered American service members and officials while abusing its authority against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the war in Gaza. Both Israel and the United States have rejected the accusations and the court’s authority.
Trump’s executive order declared the ICC’s efforts against protected American and allied officials an extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Washington has also fought the court over its past investigation into the conduct of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A Campaign to Dismantle the Court
The latest sanctions are part of a broader State Department-led campaign to weaken the ICC’s ability to operate.
Rubio announced that effort in July, promising to use sanctions, visa restrictions, diplomatic pressure and other government powers to dismantle the court “brick by brick” if necessary.
The administration is also pressuring other countries to withdraw their funding and participation. Nations that cooperate with American law enforcement, host U.S. forces or rely on Washington’s security support have been urged to reject the ICC’s authority over American personnel.
Rubio said Tuesday that the administration is prepared to take additional action until the court is no longer capable of threatening American sovereignty. The State Department has described the effort as a whole-of-government response.
The administration has already sanctioned multiple ICC prosecutors and judges. Prosecutor Karim Khan was among the first officials targeted after pursuing the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
According to The Guardian, Seye has also been linked to investigations involving Israeli settlement funding and the distribution of weapons to settlers in the West Bank, although Rubio’s announcement did not identify the specific actions that led to Tuesday’s designation.
Court Fight Moves to U.S. Soil
The sanctions campaign is now facing several legal challenges inside the United States.
Three ICC judges sued the Trump administration in New York in June, arguing that the penalties imposed against them were unlawful. Human rights organizations have filed separate lawsuits claiming the sanctions interfere with their ability to document alleged crimes and assist international investigations.
President Donald Trump’s oldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, has won court-ordered protection from a man she described as a threat after a judge extended a restraining order against him, according to a report from TMZ.
The 19-year-old daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump petitioned a Palm Beach County court for protection from 26-year-old Gabriel Garza Jr., whom she described in court filings as “homeless” and living “in a car in area of Jupiter/Palm Beach County,” according to documents obtained by TMZ.
A judge initially issued a temporary restraining order in April, restricting Garza from stalking, cyberstalking, or committing “any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death.” Following a later hearing, the order was extended and will remain in effect through May 2027.
Under the terms of the order, Garza is prohibited from coming within 500 feet of Kai’s residence and workplace. He is also barred from attending events she attends and must surrender any firearms in his possession.
The restrictions will reportedly extend to the next chapter of Kai’s life as well.
The teenager announced earlier this month that she plans to attend the University of Miami in the fall, and TMZ reported the protective order would apply there too.
Court proceedings were briefly delayed after Kai requested a scheduling change due to a major milestone in her personal life.
“My last day of high school. I can’t leave until 3:00 pm. Please reschedule for the following Thursday,” she wrote in a request cited by TMZ.
The situation marks the second frightening encounter involving an alleged stalker in recent years.
Last year, a then-23-year-old man identified as Anthony Reyes was arrested after allegedly scaling a wall at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
According to an arrest report previously obtained by NBC News, Reyes allegedly told authorities he wanted to “spread the gospel” to Trump and “marry Kai.”
“Shortly after midnight, the individual scaled a perimeter fence and triggered alarms. U.S. Secret Service personnel detained him without incident at the scene,” a Secret Service spokesperson said at the time.
Palm Beach police later took Reyes into custody on trespassing charges. He was ultimately ordered not to contact Trump or members of his family.
Kai Trump has increasingly stepped into the public eye over the last several years. An avid golfer who shares her grandfather’s enthusiasm for the sport, she has built a large social media following and became a familiar face during the 2024 presidential campaign. In 2025, Trump made her LPGA debut at The Annika on a sponsor invitation.
She also made her political debut at the Republican National Convention, where she offered a more personal portrait of her grandfather.
“To me, he’s just a normal grandpa,” Kai told attendees.
Kai was likely in the Bahamas over the weekend for her father’s wedding to Bettina Anderson… an event that Grandpa Trump missed to focus on government issues, specifically the conflict in Iran.
Despite her growing public profile, the recent court order underscores one of the risks that can accompany life in the spotlight.
A Canadian woman who admitted slapping a teenage girl during a confrontation over patriotic clothing at the Jersey Shore has been ordered deported after pleading guilty to a reduced assault charge.
Kaitlyn Tracey, 33, had overstayed her visa and was living in the United States illegally when the July 3 clash erupted on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk.
An immigration judge in Texas ordered Tracey removed from the country Tuesday, shortly before she entered a guilty plea in the New Jersey criminal case.
Tracey appeared by phone from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Texas for the proceeding in Ocean County.
🚨 NEW: A Texas immigration judge has ordered 33-year-old Canadian national Kaitlyn Tracey deported after she pleaded guilty to assaulting a teenage girl wearing patriotic clothing on a New Jersey boardwalk. 👏🏾
Under a plea agreement, Tracey pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault.
Prosecutors dismissed the remaining charges, which included endangering the welfare of a child, harassment and obstruction.
Tracey received a one-day jail sentence with credit for time served. She had already spent several weeks in the Ocean County Jail before being transferred to federal immigration custody.
The criminal case may be over, but its consequences are not. Tracey now faces removal to Canada and is expected to be barred from legally returning to the United States for an extended period.
Patriotic Shirt Sparked Boardwalk Confrontation
The altercation unfolded on the evening of July 3, when Tracey approached a group of four teenagers at Point Pleasant Beach.
Authorities said the dispute escalated after she confronted one of the teens, who was wearing a “USA 250” tank top marking America’s approaching 250th anniversary.
Video that quickly spread across social media appeared to show Tracey slapping the girl across the face during the argument.
The footage drew national attention and prompted action from local police and federal immigration authorities.
After Tracey’s arrest, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that she had remained in the country after her visa expired. The agency later dubbed her the “Maple Leaf Menace” in public statements.
Defense Calls Clash “Unfortunate”
Defense attorney Francis Hodgson told the court that Tracey had otherwise been a productive, law-abiding resident.
“She arrived here on a passport some years ago. She met her husband and didn’t leave, but while she was here, she maintained employment and was a productive member of society,” Hodgson said.
He called the confrontation “unfortunate” and said Tracey had accepted responsibility for her actions.
“[Tracey has] taken responsibility for her role in it, and this is a reasonable judgment … consistent with other similar-type matters that happen every day during the summer on this boardwalk,” Hodgson told the court.
Victim’s Family: “Thank Goodness For Cameras”
Prosecutors said the victim’s family supported the plea agreement.
The teen’s parent attended the hearing remotely but did not speak publicly. Judge Guy P. Ryan instead read portions of the family’s victim impact statement into the record.
“The parents recite that, ‘Thank goodness for cameras and cell phones to have documented this incident,’” Ryan said.
The judge said the family came from an immigrant background and described themselves as proud Americans who had been celebrating Independence Day when the confrontation occurred.
“The notoriety and publicity of this matter has indicated that they’re proud of their country, love their country, they have core values and refer to the history of their family,” Ryan said.
He added that the victim and her parents “look forward to justice being served” and were grateful to the agencies involved in the case.
Deportation Now Looms
Following her arrest, Tracey was initially held at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark. She was later transferred to an ICE processing center in Laredo, Texas, as her immigration proceedings continued.
Officials have not announced when she will be removed to Canada.
Ryan said during sentencing that the deportation order is expected to prevent Tracey from legally returning to the United States for “a very long time.”
Husband’s Anti-Trump Posts Resurface
The case has also brought new scrutiny to Tracey’s husband, Matt Geroni, who did not attend Tuesday’s hearing.
Geroni previously posted TikTok videos criticizing conditions at Delaney Hall and asking supporters to help secure his wife’s release, even if that meant her deportation to Canada.
His own social media history later became part of the controversy. Resurfaced posts appeared to show Geroni wishing death on President Donald Trump and members of Trump’s family.
In one post, Geroni wrote that he was “praying the entire Trump family gets cancer,” including the president’s children. After an attempted assassination of Trump, he wrote in another post: “Praying the next assassination attempt works.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) raised eyebrows this week after making blunt remarks about corruption in Washington and the lingering unanswered questions surrounding the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
During a Monday appearance on Newsmax, Burchett argued that the Epstein scandal remains one of the clearest examples of how America’s political and elite class often operates under a different set of rules than everyday citizens.
Burchett’s comments came as discussion continues about potential upcoming depositions tied to the Epstein investigation, including speculation about former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer – https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695
When asked about the possibility of questioning the Clintons, Burchett did not hold back, calling them an “evil pair” and suggesting they have long avoided accountability because of their political skill and influence.
“There’s a reason that they’re not in prison and a reason that he was in the White House for two terms and she was secretary of state, because they’re very slippery and they’re very smart and I think they’re an evil pair,” Burchett said.
He went on to argue that while many Americans want answers — particularly given Epstein’s high-profile connections — he doubts the Clintons or others in their circle will ever face serious consequences.
“I think she is probably the brains behind the operation, but I don’t think we’ll get much on them,” he continued. “I know a lot of people want us to get them, and it’d be great clickbait, I’m sure, but I think when it comes down to it they’ll either bail or they won’t answer very many questions and be very evasive and be very smug…”
Burchett also expressed frustration with what he described as a two-tiered justice system, where powerful political figures often escape scrutiny while ordinary Americans are held to stricter standards.
“…because in this world there are two forms of justice – those like the Clintons and for the rest of us,” he said.
While some commentators have speculated about dramatic legal consequences for high-profile individuals connected to Epstein, Burchett emphasized that Congress itself cannot directly jail anyone.
“Everybody says we’ll put them in handcuffs, all this stuff. All that’s talk,” he explained. “The law’s gotta back you up on it and, you know, we gotta define what those laws were that they broke, and Congress cannot send somebody to jail.”
🚨This is: United States Representative Tim Burchett:
Any pedophile, found guilty of crimes against children should be “hung publicly.”
In one of his most striking statements, Burchett suggested that Washington’s problems extend far beyond one scandal.
He concluded, “Oddly enough, a lot of congressmen probably should be in jail, but the truth is that we’re not gonna. I don’t think it’ll boil down to anything, and that’s gonna make a lot of people mad, but I believe that’s the truth.”
The Tennessee congressman also weighed in on Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
Burchett predicted that if Maxwell were ever released early, her fate could mirror the suspicious circumstances many Americans still associate with Epstein’s death.
“I see maybe she gets out early on good behavior and does a humongous book deal and probably ends up committing suicide by getting shot in the back of the head five times because this thing goes very deep and the people involved in it are very powerful,” he said.
Burchett also repeated a belief shared by many skeptics across the country — that Epstein’s death in federal custody left far too many unanswered questions.
“And I’m still one of those that believe Epstein didn’t kill himself, ma’am. I just don’t think he did.”
Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A senior Trump administration official has made new criminal referrals against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte said in a letter Wednesday to prosecutors in Florida that James may have falsified information on a homeowner’s insurance application submitted to Fort Lauderdale-based Universal Property Insurance. In a separate letter to prosecutors in Illinois, Pulte alleged that James may have also provided false information on an application to Allstate.
The referrals mark the latest development in a series of legal actions pursued by officials in President Trump’s administration against James, a longtime political adversary. In a Truth Social post Wednesday night, President Trump wrote that James had been “referred again for criminal prosecution for alleged homeowner insurance fraud.”
One of the referrals was sent to Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Quiñones is currently leading an investigation into Obama-era officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan, related to intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump. Last year, Quiñones also sought records connected to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump.
The second referral was sent to Andrew Boutros, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Abbe Lowell, an attorney for James, rejected the allegations and criticized the administration’s actions.
“abusing their power to pursue a vendetta against her by trying to rename, refile, and repeat baseless allegations.”
“These desperate tactics will fail — just as every previous attempt has failed — and exposes an Administration that has abandoned its responsibility to the American people in favor of petty political payback,” Lowell said.
The new referrals follow a previously dismissed federal case against James. Last fall, she was charged in federal court with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, based on allegations that she misrepresented details about a property in Virginia to secure more favorable mortgage terms. James denied wrongdoing, and the charges were later dismissed.
The earlier indictment came after Pulte referred James for possible mortgage fraud, though the charges ultimately focused on a different property than the one cited in his referral. A federal judge dismissed the case in November, ruling that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan had been unlawfully appointed. A separate case brought by Halligan against former FBI Director James Comey was also dismissed, and two federal grand juries later declined to re-indict James on bank fraud charges.
According to the original indictment, James purchased a Virginia home in 2020 using a mortgage that required the property to be used as a second residence, but she allegedly rented it out as an investment property to obtain a lower interest rate.
James has argued that she is being targeted for political reasons, particularly after she sued Trump in civil court during the period between his presidential terms. A New York judge found Trump and his company liable for fraud and ordered them to pay hundreds of millions of dollars, though an appellate court later overturned the financial judgment.
In court filings last year, James’s attorneys accused Pulte of using the Federal Housing Finance Agency — which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — as a “weapon to be brandished against President Trump’s political enemies.”
CBS News previously reported that prosecutors have also examined financial transactions between James and her longtime hairdresser, Iyesata Marsh, as part of a separate line of inquiry. Pulte has since sought a protective security detail, citing threats he said were connected to the case.
On Monday, A man pleaded not guilty after he allegedly drove past a security checkpoint and claimed to have an explosive device at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Michigan, last week.
Steven William Nauta was arrested after police say he drove around barricades set up for Trump’s rally and told police that he had a C4 explosive, WOOD TV 8 reported. According to a court document, Nauta “held up a bottle to police and stated that it was ‘C4’ explosive and that it was the ‘real deal.’” After being told to stop by officers, Nauta allegedly “sped off” before stopping and throwing bags of fertilizer on the ground.
“When (Nauta) finally stopped, he removed bags of fertilizer from his vehicle and threw them on the ground to make it appear that they were explosives while disobeying officers’ commands,” the court document states. The 65-year-old was eventually detained by police, and the man allegedly told officers that he intended to make them believe that he had explosives. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said there was no active bomb in Nauta’s vehicle.
Nauta’s virtual court appearance from a jail cell was a bizarre scene as the man took his shirt off at one point and made profane hand gestures, according to WOOD TV 8. Nauta was charged with one felony count each of a false report or threat of terrorism, possession of bombs with unlawful intent, third-degree fleeing a police officer, and resulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Kent County, Michigan, District Court Judge Nicholas Christensen set the man’s bond at $1 million, and Nauta replied, “Well, your honor, given my situation, I think I’m better off just staying in here. Very cruel world out there. Probably a lot better off here.”
The judge told Nauta, “It’s not lost on this court here today that your alleged actions were directed to stopping or hindering a fundamental aspect of this country’s democratic process: a political rally.”
The Michigan man’s alleged bomb threat came just two weeks after Secret Service agents apprehended an alleged suspect with a gun near Trump’s golf course. Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty in court on Monday.
The Republican nominee said on Monday that he has requested more Secret Service agents, but alleged that Democrats are “not giving us the proper number of people within Secret Service that are necessary for Security.”
“We need more Secret Service, and we need them NOW,” Trump wrote. “It is ELECTION INTERFERENCE that we have to turn away thousands of people from arenas and venues because it is not being provided to us.”
Federal prosecutors in Miami say top Smartmatic executives funneled money from a $300 million Los Angeles County voting contract into an illegal slush fund.
According to the Justice Department, Smartmatic co-founder Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez and two others used shell companies and fake invoices to siphon off cash from the taxpayer-funded deal. That money allegedly ended up in bribes paid to government officials in Venezuela and the Philippines.
Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion — alleging the network defamed them by promoting President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in the days and weeks after the 2020 vote.
The new filing is part of a corruption case in Florida against the three Smartmatic executives for allegedly operating a bribery and money-laundering scheme in which they are accused of paying off an election official in the Philippines to help secure $182 million in contracts. The DOJ also claims the executives carried a similar plot with a Venezuelan official — whom the executives gave a home with a pool in 2019, according to prosecutors.
The DOJ hasn’t charged Smartmatic as a company, nor has it accused any L.A. County officials of wrongdoing. Still, the department is clearly using the L.A. contract to establish a pattern of corrupt practices tied to the voting tech firm.
The DOJ’s latest move builds on earlier charges against the same executives. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Piñate of laundering money through a similar slush fund to bribe election officials in the Philippines during the 2016 elections.
To be clear, no one is alleging votes were tampered with or election results altered. The charges focus strictly on financial corruption — kickbacks, shell firms, and international bribery.
