GOP Lawmakers Urge Investigation Into Foreign Interference in Data Center Opposition Campaign

A group of Republican lawmakers has formally requested that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche launch an investigation into what they characterize as foreign interference in organized efforts to prevent data center development across the country. The bipartisan letter, initiated by Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas, asserts that foreign-linked organizations and advocacy networks are deliberately obstructing such projects to advantage China in the global artificial intelligence competition.

In remarks to Fox News Digital, Gooden claimed that both Chinese and Russian entities are engaged in coordinated activities designed to undermine American leadership in AI policy and technological advancement. He further alleged that these foreign powers employ sophisticated disinformation tactics to manipulate U.S. political processes and utilize undisclosed funding mechanisms through nonprofit organizations to advance their geopolitical interests against American policy objectives.

Data centers have become increasingly vital infrastructure as artificial intelligence demand grows, providing the computational capacity, power supply, and systems required for processing and storing vast datasets. Nevertheless, proposed data center projects have encountered substantial community opposition, with detractors citing concerns about elevated electricity costs and potential environmental damage.

Jack Tensley, a self-identified organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, testified against a Virginia data center proposal before the Frederick County Planning Commission in Maryland this past January, citing infrastructure security risks and potential cyberattack vulnerabilities. Tensley did not provide comment when contacted by Fox News Digital regarding the allegations.

Neville Roy Singham, a 72-year-old American technology entrepreneur who relocated to Shanghai following the 2017 sale of his company for $785 million, has become a focal point in the investigation. According to Fox News Digital’s reporting, Singham has distributed $278 million to a network of nonprofits since 2017, with many organizations holding pro-Chinese Communist Party positions operating within U.S. borders.

Singham is currently subject to grand jury examination in the Southern District of New York, an inquiry authorized by Blanche, though he has not been charged with any offense. The Bitcoin Policy Institute determined that PSL has coordinated anti-data center campaigns across at least 14 states, opposing approximately $23.6 billion in proposed AI sector investments.

OpenAI reported discovering and removing “two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China” that had engaged in covert influence operations promoting narratives intended to shape American AI and technology policy debates. The Justice Department has not publicly indicated whether it intends to respond to the lawmakers’ request or initiate a formal investigation.