Lawmakers have urged the acting Attorney General to investigate a nationwide campaign aimed at blocking the construction of data centers, alleging foreign influence behind the push.
A letter from Representative Lance Gooden and several Republican colleagues accuses Chinese and Russian entities of coordinating efforts to prevent American data center development, which they say would give foreign competitors an advantage in the artificial intelligence sector.
Gooden claims that foreign organizations use undisclosed donations to fund non‑governmental groups that spread disinformation and manipulate U.S. policy processes, thereby undermining domestic AI leadership.
Data centers are increasingly essential for the computing power required to process and store vast amounts of information, yet proposed facilities often face opposition over rising utility costs and environmental concerns.
In January, a participant from the Party for Socialism and Liberation testified before a Maryland planning commission, expressing fears that a new data center would create security vulnerabilities and potentially target the county with cyberattacks.
The organization has publicly opposed data center projects nationwide, arguing that control of AI infrastructure rests with a handful of billionaires and that workers are rising in opposition to tech monopolies.
Neville Roy Singham, a former tech entrepreneur who sold a company for $785 million and now resides in Shanghai, has funneled hundreds of millions into a network of nonprofits linked to the Chinese Communist Party, according to a recent investigation.
Investigations in the Southern District of New York have been authorized to examine Singham’s financial activities, though no charges have been filed to date.
A letter to the Attorney General from the Bitcoin Policy Institute and a separate report from a major AI organization highlighted alleged foreign influence campaigns that targeted U.S. data center construction and broader AI policy discussions.
Both documents point to coordinated efforts by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and its associated networks to undermine the American AI supply chain, citing specific instances of influence operations across multiple states.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to inquiries about potential investigations or plans to address the allegations raised by lawmakers and the cited reports.
