STOLEN ELECTIONS with Gary Berntsen & Ralph Pezzullo | Ep 45 | Going Rogue with Lara Logan

YouTube.com ^ | 11/21/2025 | Lara Logan

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Grok Summary of AI-Generated Video Transcript

The podcast episode features host Lara Logan interviewing Gary Berndson (former CIA) and Ralph Pezzullo (author) about their book Stolen Elections: The Takedown of Democracies Worldwide.Key claims and assertions made:

• Venezuelan regime (led by Hugo Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro), with Cuban assistance, developed sophisticated election-stealing software in the early 2000s to rig the 2004 Venezuelan referendum.
• Three Venezuelan engineers created the software, which was installed in voting machines (initially Olivetti, later Smartmatic).
• Smartmatic was founded in the U.S. (Boca Raton, Florida) with Venezuelan government money; the source code always remained under Venezuelan ownership despite corporate maneuvers to hide it.
• The same software (or modified versions) migrated to Sequoia, then was sold to Dominion (a small Canadian company) under pressure from a U.S. Treasury/CFIUS investigation.
• This software has been used to steal elections in numerous Latin American countries and is now present in U.S. swing states and other locations (e.g., Los Angeles County still uses Smartmatic).
• The system allows manipulation through at least 14 technical methods, defeats audits, and is connected to the internet despite claims otherwise; results are allegedly altered via servers in places like Serbia using Chinese Huawei hardware.
• The Venezuelan regime (called “Cartel de los Soles”) is described as the world’s largest narco-terrorist organization with trillions in illicit wealth, partnered with Cuba, Iran, Russia, and China.
• The 2020 U.S. presidential election was allegedly stolen using this system; Barack Obama’s 2008 Illinois primary win is cited as the first U.S. use.
• Berndson and his partner Martin Rodeal spent years recruiting insiders (engineers and employees from Smartmatic, Dominion, etc.), built a private computer lab, and gathered evidence, but were blocked or threatened by parts of the FBI, CIA, Congress, media, and publishers.
• Multiple U.S. agencies and individuals are accused of being penetrated or compromised by Cuban/Venezuelan intelligence; some named indirectly, others implied.
• The hosts call for immediate action against the Venezuelan regime, dismantling of electronic voting systems, return to paper ballots, creation of a new OSS-style intelligence agency and separate counterintelligence service, and full accountability for treason and election theft.

The episode includes multiple commercial breaks and sponsor promotions. No editorial commentary or rebuttals are presented; the guests’ claims are delivered as factual revelations.

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[Diana in Wisconsin]

My local ‘Conserva-Babe’ Vicki McKenna, was all over this on Tuesday.

Looking forward to reading this book - and probably throwing it across the room in ANGER a time or two while doing so!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

*PING*

[sauropod]

Review

[Liz]

Several U.S. laws and executive orders prohibit foreign interference in elections, including the ban on foreign nationals making contributions or expenditures in federal elections (52\) U.S.C. (30121\) and laws against voter intimidation (18\) U.S.C. (594\).

The government has also used Executive Order (13848) and acts like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sanctions. While existing laws are in place, new legislation is being considered to close loopholes, such as those related to foreign interference through shell companies.

Existing laws and authorities Foreign nationals ban: Foreign nationals are prohibited from participating in U.S. elections by making contributions or expenditures (52\) U.S.C. (30121).

Voter intimidation: Federal law also prohibits threatening, intimidating, or coercing anyone to interfere with their right to vote in a federal election (18\) U.S.C. (594).

Executive Orders: Executive Order \(13848\), issued in \(2018\), allows for sanctions in response to foreign interference in U.S. elections, which is implemented through regulations by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).International Emergency Economic Powers Act: This act is one of the legal authorities that provides the basis for sanctions in response to election interference.

Loopholes and proposed legislation Shell companies: Existing laws may not adequately prevent foreign governments or nationals from using shell companies to secretly fund political activity in U.S. elections.Proposed laws: New bipartisan legislation, such as the Shell Company Abuse Act, aims to close these loopholes by making it a felony to use shell companies to hide foreign interference in elections.

Other bills like the DETER Act and the Foreign Agents Disclosure and Registration Enhancement Act have also been proposed to strengthen protections against foreign influence.

[Segovia]

My God! this is really, really DEEP! Watch the whole interview. (you will not regret)

[Liz]

My God! this is really, really DEEP! Watch
the whole interview. (you will not regret)

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Will do——thx.

[Liz]

Thx for the ping.