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Elections chief not worried about possible ties to Venezuela

The Hillsborough official says he has confidence in the voting machines.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published October 29, 2006

TAMPA — Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson said he has full confidence in the Sequoia electronic voting machines used here and in Pinellas County, as weekend news reports questioned whether Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez secretly controls the company that manufactures the equipment.

“It is my understanding that no foreign entity, Venezuelan or other, owns any part of Sequoia,” Johnson said Sunday.

The Miami Herald and the New York Times have cited a federal investigation into whether Smartmatic, which owns Sequoia Voting Systems in Oakland, Calif., has connections to Chavez. The government’s concern is that Chavez could use influence in the company to advance his anti-American agenda by causing chaos to the democratic process, the Herald reported.

In Florida, the Sequoia electronic voting machines are used in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach and Indian River counties.

“While we are an evolving elections business, I have confidence in the machines,” Johnson said.

A Miami Herald investigation into the Venezuelan government’s involvement in the machines linked Smartmatic to Venezuela through a company called Bizta. The Venezuelan government owned 28 percent of Bizta, which was operated by two of the same people who owned Smartmatic.

Bizta bought back its shares and later called the deal a loan. Smartmatic and the Venezuelan government have denied that Chavez has any role in the company.

 Times staff writer Sheela Raman contributed to this report. Kevin Graham can be reached at (813) 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 29, 2006, 23:49:16]