Indian River voids its contract after finding out a Sequoia Voting Systems executive faces indictment in a voting equipment scandal.
By DEBORAH O'NEIL© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 8, 2001
Two counties on Florida's east coast are angry over Sequoia Voting Systems' failure to reveal that one of its top executives is under indictment in a voting equipment scandal. News of the criminal charges already has jeopardized a $15.5-million contract in Pinellas County and sparked questions in Hillsborough County, where Sequoia also wants to sell its electronic voting machines.
On Tuesday, Indian River County leaders voided a $2-million contract with Sequoia, furious that they were not told before signing the deal that the man they negotiated with is charged in a Louisiana money laundering and corruption conspiracy. "They did something that was unconscionable in dealing with the public . . . not informing us this gentleman was indicted," said county Commissioner John Tippin.
"It's going to take a near miracle, I think, for us to do business with this company." And some Palm Beach County commissioners are steamed that Elections Supervisor Theresa LePore didn't tell them about the charges before they inked a deal in September. "I didn't think it was relevant," LePore said in an interview. "I signed the contract, not the commissioners. They trust me to make the right decision."
