A former prosecutor in Los Angeles County is questioning the “official story” behind the decision by District Attorney George Gascon to drop criminal charges against an election software company and the subsequent $5 million settlement paid to the firm’s executive.
Eric Neff, the deputy prosecutor who initially spearheaded the probe against Konnech Corporation, said his former employer’s claims about the case “just don’t add up.” Neff was placed on administrative leave for 18 months after Gascon, a progressive prosecutor backed by billionaire George Soros, dismissed the charges against Konnech’s CEO, Eugene Yu.
The charges, filed days before the 2022 midterm elections, alleged that Konnech’s election worker management software, PollChief, had sent data to China, potentially compromising the personal information of election workers. However, after conservatives praised Gascon’s action, he abruptly reversed course, dropping the charges and arranging a $5 million payment to Yu.
“The official story on my leave they would tell you is to sort out whether I bungled the investigation,” Neff said. “They can’t say that now because they cleared me. Especially after they paid one of the top law firms in the country to investigate me.”
Neff believes Gascon felt compelled to backtrack after the case drew attention from those perceived as conservative, suggesting a political motive behind the dismissal. He also questioned the $5 million settlement, noting that it is rare for prosecutors to pay such settlements to those charged with crimes, even if the cases are flimsy.
The former prosecutor alleges that Konnech’s practices were “even worse than initially feared,” with evidence suggesting the company was sending sensitive poll worker data to Chinese-owned contractors through messaging applications. However, Gascon’s office has remained silent on the specific facts that led to the dismissal and the subsequent settlement.
As the details surrounding the case continue to unfold, questions remain about the motivations behind Gascon’s actions and the potential implications for the integrity of election processes.
