Konnech Corp, the software provider, denied any connections to the CCP and stated that all of its data was kept on American servers. However, the election software CEO was arrested over alleged data theft and storing data on servers in China.
On October 4, the CEO of the Michigan-based software company Konnech Corp. was detained for allegedly collecting and storing the personal information of Los Angeles County election workers on Chinese servers.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, 51-year-old Konnech CEO Eugene Yu was detained in Michigan on suspicion of stealing “the personal identifying information” of Los Angeles County election workers.
Computer hard drives as well as other pertinent digital data were also confiscated by the investigators. Yu’s extradition to Los Angeles would be sought, according to the office.
The office claims that Konnech was awarded a five-year, $2.9 million deal by Los Angeles County in 2020 for the PollChief software, a system for managing poll workers that was used by the county in the most recent election in California.
The program was created to help with poll worker assignments, communications, and payroll, according to a statement from Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
The arrangement mandated Konnech to safeguard the information and restrict access to U.S. nationals and legal permanent residents. However, investigators discovered that the business kept the information on Chinese servers.
“In this case, the alleged conduct had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results,” Gascón said. “But security in all aspects of any election is essential so that we all have full faith in the integrity of the election process.”
Alleged Ties to CCP
On October 3, The New York Times reported that Konnech had come under fire for allegedly having ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and providing China with access to the personal information of 2 million American poll workers.
According to the report, the software provider denied any connections to the CCP and stated that all of its data was kept on American servers.
Yu’s arrest comes after Konnech sued True the Vote, a Texas-based nonprofit organization that monitors votes, on September 12 for making “false and racist accusations” against the business.
True the Vote praised Los Angeles County’s “rapid action” in the matter and reported that Konnech had acquired an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the group from discussing the legal proceedings.
“True the Vote was sued last month by Konnech to try to silence our organization, including obtaining an ex-parte TRO, conducted in secret so that True the Vote had no opportunity to contest it,” the organization said in a statement. “Today, Konnech CEO Eugene Yu was arrested based on alleged evidence of the very activities he and his organization attempted to suppress.”
Each development phase in this story has been extensively covered by GGI news previously including FBI’s alleged involvement.