Smartmatic says Trump's 'campaign of retribution' is driving criminal prosecution

Voting technology firm Smartmatic asked a federal judge to dismiss a criminal money laundering indictment saying the case is political retaliation tied to President Donald Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election. The company’s parent SGO Corporation was added last year to charges accusing executives of paying bribes to election officials in the Philippines. Smartmatic said it had cooperated with investigators for years and believed it would avoid prosecution until Trump returned to power. Lawyers argue the Justice Department changed course to support Trump’s narrative that the election was stolen. Prosecutors allege payments between 2015 and 2018 helped secure a Philippine election contract.