|
Edited on Fri Jul-25-03 01:09 AM by BevHarris
Bob and Todd Urosevich founded ES&S under the name "Data Mark Systems"
In November 1993 Bob Urosevich, who was at that time CEO, and by that time it was called American Information Systems, left, and Chuck Hagel, who had been Chairman, took his place as CEO while remaining as chairman. Hagel also owned stock, through a holding company called AIS Investors Inc. Don't know anything about Bob and Todd having a fight, sorry.
Around 1996, Bob Urosevich launched a new voting machine company, calling it "I-Mark Systems" and it specialized in touch screen voting machines.
There was an outfit in McKinney Texas and there was an outfit in Vancouver Canada, and they turned into one entity. As I understand it, the Texas company bought the Canadian company. Then, the Texas company, called Global Election Systems, bought I-Mark Systems, and Bob Urosevich moved to McKinney Texas, and by and by he became the CEO of Global Election Systems, which lost money hand over fist.
Then, in 2001, Diebold forked over a big loan to Global Election Systems, who then sold itself to Diebold for a tiny amount, having been devalued because anyone else who would buy it would have to come up with the additional cash to pay off the loan. This paragraph I am repeating from what someone told me, and I did not verify it, so take it with appropriate grain of salt. In Jan. 2002 Diebold bought Global Election Systems and christened it Diebold Election Systems.
Meanwhile, back in Omaha...In June 1994 William F Welsh took over as CEO of American Information Systems from Chuck Hagel. Hagel remained as Chairman. March 15, 1995 Hagel resigned from AIS and March 31, 1995 he announced he was running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. No one thought he'd win the primary, but he did, and news reports indicated his victory was amazing. "Will lightning strike twice for Hagel?" Business Week asked, not daring to think he could score another upset over a popular incumbent.
Of course, lightning struck twice, and Hagel won Nebraska with his machines counting his votes, winning every district and every demographic, according to one Nebraska paper. The Washington Post crowned it the upset of the year. Hagel never disclosed that he'd owned the voting machine company, describing himself as a banker and even mentioning his position with the American Red Cross, but omitting the fact that he'd run the company that counted his votes.
He says he sold shares of AIS Investors Inc. "before that" (before what?), but never did he disclose that he owned any such shares, nor that he ever sold or transferred them. Magically he then owned shared of The McCarthy Group, variously listed as 35% owner and controlling owner of American Information Systems, which was renamed ES&S in 1997. Hagel never owned controlling interest, to my knowledge. On his disclosure documents he lists an investment of from $1 to 5 million in The McCarthy Group, and avoids required disclosure of its ownership of ES&S by calling it an "excepted investment fund," which it is not.
Todd Urosevich is still a Vice President for ES&S.
History lesson over.
Bev
|