Need info on Sequoia ownership lineage; anyone know where to find this?

[Amaryllis]

Need this info for a friend who is investingating the connections here; does anyone have info or know where to look?

Currently, Sequoia Voting System's parent company de la Rue is the 90% owner of Sequoia, but the "previous" owner Smurfit (aka Jefferson Smurfit (sp?)) is still a 10% owner, according to Sequoia's website. (In unusual cases, minority ownership can still exercise partial or total control, depending on the structure of the stock buy/sell agreement when Smurfit sold 90% to de La Rue).

But regardless of what the 10% interest means in reality, we'd like to find out the facts behind the 10% stake of Smurfit. There seem to have been some name changes, and perhaps changes of ownership in the last few years with Smurfit as well. My understanding (and this is what needs to be checked by someone) is that Smurfit is owned (or a subsidiary of, or something) by Madison Dearborn partners, which is partners in (or subsidiary of, or something) the Carlyle Group. And as you know the Carlyle group is a major "private equity investor" heavily concentrated in the defense field, and it seems Bush Sr. still a partner or on the equivalent of the Board of Carlyle?

Thanks if anyone can help with researching the Smurfit entity. Whatever the facts are with Smurfit, they owned Sequoia prior to de La Rue's purchase in 2002, and still own 10%.

[Helga Scow Stern]

1. This might have some good places to look,

in case you haven't seen it:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=98730

Edited to add:
Whoops! I just saw that you were the one who had just reposted this a few days ago.

[Amaryllis]

6. No problem! It's the thought that counts.

[KingoftheJungle]

2. De la Rue is far more interesting

For instance...they have ties to Deibold and also won a lucrative contract to print Iraq's new currency...

http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/32074.html

http://www.baghdadbulletin.com/pageArticle.php?article_id=68&cat_id=14

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/currency-reform.htm

http://www.atmmarketplace.com/news_story_5195.htm

Xicanopower has more on De La Rue, but I don't think he's online right now so whatever he has on them will have to wait...

[Amaryllis]

4. Thanks for this, but need info on Smurfit lineage- do you have anything?

[KingoftheJungle]

5. Not off the top of my head, but friends might...

I'll have to ask someone to see if we got anything on Smurfit. If we do have anything it isn't too significant, because I don't recall much about it. Like I said, De La Rue is a far more interesting entity.

[jean]

3. oops-I thought you meant the presidential yacht at first...

no kidding -

The Presidential Yacht - NPR report
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1359854

Official homepage of USS Sequoia Presidentail Yacht
http://www.sequoiayacht.com/

[sybylla]

7. Been to the Voting Machine Companies website yet?

http://www.ecotalk.org/VotingMachineCompanies.htm

They have a lot of information on all of them and really dig into the ties they have with each other and with nefarious individuals and corporation at home and abroad.

[Amaryllis]

8. Thanks! will check it out. Nefarious is certainly an apt word.