LOS ANGELES — The founder and CEO of a software program firm focused by election deniers was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stealing information on Los Angeles County ballot employees.
Konnech Company’s Eugene Yu, 51, was held on suspicion of theft of non-public figuring out info and laptop laborious drives. Different “digital proof” was seized by investigators from the county district lawyer’s workplace, in line with an announcement from the workplace.
Native prosecutors will search his extradition from Michigan.
“We're persevering with to establish the main points of what we consider to be Mr. Yu’s wrongful detention by LA County authorities,” Konnech stated in an announcement that ended: “Any LA County ballot employee information that Konnech could have possessed was supplied to it by LA County, and due to this fact couldn't have been ‘stolen’ as recommended.”
Konnech is a small firm based mostly in East Lansing, Michigan. In 2020, it gained a five-year, $2.9 million contract with LA County for software program to trace election employee schedules, coaching, payroll and communications, in line with the county registrar-recorder/county clerk, Dean C. Logan.
Konnech was required to maintain the info in america and solely present entry to residents and everlasting residents however as a substitute saved it on servers within the Folks’s Republic of China, the DA’s workplace stated.
The DA’s assertion didn’t specify what particular info allegedly was taken. However officers stated it solely concerned ballot employees, not voting machines or vote counts and didn’t alter election outcomes.
“However safety in all facets of any election is crucial in order that all of us have full religion within the integrity of the election course of,” District Legal professional George Gascón stated in an announcement.
“With the mid-term Common Election 35 days away, our focus stays on guaranteeing the administration of this election shouldn't be disrupted,” stated an announcement from Logan.
Konnech beforehand stated that each one the info for its American clients had been saved on servers in america, the New York Instances reported Monday.
The paper reported that Konnech and Yu, who was born in China, turned the goal of claims by election conspiracy theorists that the corporate had secret ties to the Chinese language Communist Occasion and had provided info on 2 million ballot employees.
There wasn’t any proof to assist these claims, however Yu obtained threats and went into hiding, the paper stated.
Konnech additionally has contracts with Allen County, Indiana, and DeKalb County in Georgia, the Instances stated.
On its web site, Konnech stated it presently has 32 shoppers in North America.