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Elected President Biden on Electoral College: Clear Victory
Elected President Joe Biden officially secured the presidency after the Electoral College gave him 306 votes and vice-president Harris.
Staff Video, USA TODAY
The claim: Hugo Chavez’s family owns part of Dominion Voting Systems
After the 2020 presidential election, which was certified by the Electoral College on December 14, lost, outgoing President Donald Trump launched a campaign of disinformation about election interference and voter fraud.
Dozens of Republican officials, including some who were elected in the same process that they believe were fraudulent, supported the Trump campaign’s unsuccessful attempts to overthrow the election result.
Allegations of interference and fraud by campaign supporters range from Sharpies invalidating Conservative voters’ ballots in Arizona to Hugo Chávez – the late former president of Venezuela – owning part of Dominion Voting Systems, whose machines in 28 states are used.
More: Fact check: Viral photo shows fake logo and slogan for Dominion Voting Systems
In a video posted on Facebook on the Community Tap News Facebook page on November 30, a man who claims to be a Biden voter said he initially had doubts about the claims of election fraud, after meeting with Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis and Lawmakers in Arizona, he began to question the legitimacy of the election.
“I agreed to think it would be a joke … my laughter changed from laughter to outright anger and disgust of our state. If what they say is true, our state has blown this election,” the man said. “Speaking of, Dominion, the software company leading the election, is 28% of Hugo (explicitly) Chávez, a damn communist in Venezuela.”
“Hugo Chávez is dead, but his family owns it … Dominion was started by him,” he adds.
The man in the video does not identify himself further than saying he voted in Maricopa County, Arizona.
When USA contacted TODAY via Facebook Messenger with a request for evidence of claims in the video, Community Tap News replied: “My source is Anthony Kern. That’s all I’m willing to say. Kern is a Republican member of the House of Representatives in Arizona.
In addition to this video, other social media posts have linked Chávez and Dominion.
Who owns Dominion Voting Systems?
In the video, the man admits that Chávez is dead, but claims that his family still owns Dominion and that Chávez started the software company. Both of these claims are false.
Dominion was founded in Canada in 2003 and the majority owner of the company is Staple Street Capital, based in New York City.
Despite being a private company that does not disclose its money, CEO Jeff Poulous said in a letter to the House Committee on Administration that he owns a 12% stake in the company, while 75, 2% is owned by Staple Street Capital and no other investors own more than a 5% stake, Associated Press reports.
More: Fact check: False allegation that electronic voting software companies Dominion and Smartmatic have been shut down
After an assessment of incorrect information about the reliability of the software company, Dominion released a statement containing information about the ownership of the company, as well as facts denouncing various conspiracies.
“No foreigner owns or controls the company directly or indirectly,” the statement said. “Dominion and other voting system manufacturers submit extensive disclosures of the company to federal and state authorities as conditions for product testing and system certification.”
The statement also states that there are no ownership ties with the governments of China, Cuba or Venezuela.
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Other false claims on signatures, Gina Haspel
The video also makes another false claim about Arizona’s electoral integrity and says that election officials did not sign 1.9 million ballots in Maricopa County.
Signature verification on ballot papers in Arizona, including Maricopa County, is required under state law and the state election procedure.
Finally, the man in the video claims that the director of the CIA, Gina Haspel, is dead. This is false. Reel is not dead.
Our verdict: False
The most important claim in the post is FALSE, based on our research. Hugo Chávez did not find Dominion Voting Systems, nor does his family own a stake in the company. Dominion was founded in Canada in 2003 and its majority owner is Staple Street Capital, based in New York. Outside of Staple Street Capital and Dominion’s CEO, no investor owns more than a 5% stake in the company. In addition, no foreign or foreign government has an interest in the company.
Our sources for fact checking:
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