Foreign Company To U.S. Voters: Trust Us
Scytl, the foreign-headquartered company that recently purchased the leading U.S. electronic voting firm, wants the public to know it can be trusted in the election process. To back its claim, Scytl issued a press release last week boasting that the company continues to receive “industry expert recognition” for its election technology breakthroughs.
This column, however, has learned the firm vouching for Scytl has links to billionaire activist George Soros.
KleinOnline recently reported Scyrl acquired the software division of a non-profit election organization tied to Soros’s Open Society Institute. KleinOnline also reported that Scytl announced its technology will be deployed at more U.S. jurisdictions ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.
Now the company has issued a press release announcing Scytl “continues receiving electoral and industry expert recognition for its end-to-end election modernization technology and electoral roadmap implementation approach from organizations such as IDC, Ovum and ACEEEO.” Ovum is a technology advisory firm.
Scytl’s release further quotes Nishant Shah, research analyst at Ovum. Shah authored a recent report, “On the Radar,” that hailed Scytl’s election offerings. The Scytl release quoted Shah stating: “We believe Scytl’s wide variety of offerings, investment into certifications, and emphasis on security, auditing, and testing position the company as a dominant provider in election modernization.”
Shah’s biography page at Ovum’s website says he facilitated large-scale, public-private partnerships in international health for the Global Business Coalition. He also worked with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS issues.
Soros is the Global Business Coalition’s founding supporter.
Shah’s bio further notes the analyst provided management services support to technology investees of the Acumen Fund in Pakistan. Soros’s daughter, Andrea Soros Colombel, serves on Acumen’s board. She is also a member of the global board of Soros’s Open Society Foundation.
Another Ovum author is Margaret Goldberg. Her Ovum bio notes that prior to joining the firm, she interned for three years at the Soros Economic Development Fund.