Chicago City Wire

Chicago Alderman Ed Burke once suggested Smartmatic’s equipment might be a conspiracy to destabilize American democracy and elections.

In 2006, Burke suggested that the voting machine company, which provided the voting machines in the controversial 2004 recall election of Hugo Chavez, had the potential for tampering.

"I am saying the potential for tampering with the American electoral process where presidential elections can be determined by just one state exists here," Burke said to the Chicago Tribune. 

Jack Blaine, the president of Sequoia Voting Systems, which was bought by Smartmatic in 2005, denied the allegations, calling it a “crackpot theory.”

Burke says there are offshore shell companies that are Sequoia’s parent companies and they all lead back to Venezuelan nationals as owners.

"Tell me a single solitary reason there is to trace ownership through three shell corporations to the Curacao Islands and its roots to Venezuela, where they have already been involved with the dictator of Venezuela, who Defense Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld says is an enemy of the United States,” Burke said, the Tribune reported.

Burke wasn’t the only alderman to voice apprehension with the system because of its Venezuelan tie. Alderman Leslie Hairston retorted during questioning with Blaine, “I think you belong to the secret brotherhood of I Don’t Know.”

Burke was involved in a corruption investigation earlier this year. In August, his attorneys argued that certain charges against him should be dropped. They claim that he was lied to and deceived by retired Alderman Danny Solis during an investigation.

Burke’s attorneys suggested Solis’ actions might be entrapment.

Smartmatic is owned by Dominion Voting Systems.