Republican lawmakers have asked acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to open a probe into what they describe as foreign influence driving a nationwide campaign to block data center construction, arguing these fights threaten U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The complaint centers on a network of nonprofit groups and activists, some tied to foreign interests, that have organized opposition across multiple states. Reports from independent organizations and statements from tech companies are cited as evidence that foreign actors are manipulating local debates to slow American AI infrastructure.
Rep. Lance Gooden and several GOP colleagues sent a letter urging the Department of Justice to examine who is funding and coordinating opposition to data centers. They argue these campaigns are not just local land use fights but part of a broader effort to handicap American capacity in the AI race. Lawmakers say the pattern points to coordinated influence rather than isolated community concerns.
Gooden put the concern bluntly. “We believe that the Chinese and also the Russians are colluding and working to make sure that the United States of America is not the leader when it comes to AI policy and development,” he said, accusing adversaries of sophisticated disinformation. “They are so sophisticated with respect to disinformation and manipulating our processes here in the United States against us.”
He also warned about hidden funding channels. “We know historically, that they have funded [nongovernmental organizations] and nonprofits that don’t disclose donations,” Gooden added, describing a playbook of covert financing and influence. The fear among Republicans is that opaque money flows are shaping policy debates away from American interests.
Data centers are central to modern AI, supplying massive computing power, electricity and other infrastructure essential to process and store huge volumes of data. Local resistance often cites utility strain, rising costs and environmental concerns, which are legitimate issues for communities to weigh. Republicans say those local debates are being exploited by actors whose real aim is to weaken the U.S. technological edge.
One example cited by lawmakers is testimony in a Maryland county where an activist self-identified as an organizer for the Party for Socialism and Liberation opposed a nearby Virginia data center. “My really big fear here is the security risk. We have infrastructure attacks and failures, cyberattacks that happen — I want to know if this puts a target on the back of Frederick County,” Tensley said. The organizer’s public statements and local campaigning are portrayed as part of an orchestrated national push.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation has publicly framed its opposition differently, focusing on inequality and the power of tech billionaires. “Workers are rising up across the country in a growing movement against the tech billionaires – from fights against data centers in hundreds of cities, to labor organizing at the world’s biggest tech corporations,” the group wrote in social media posts, signaling a coordinated activist narrative. Republicans counter that the messaging can mask foreign influence and funding streams.
Investigators and lawmakers point to Neville Roy Singham, a U.S. tech entrepreneur now living abroad, as an important node in the network of funding. Singham, who sold his company and relocated to Shanghai, is reported to have funneled substantial sums into a web of nonprofits and initiatives that critics say align with the Chinese Communist Party’s interests. He is under a grand jury probe in the Southern District of New York, a step that the acting Attorney General approved, and he has not been charged with a crime to date.
Independent reports cited in the lawmakers’ letter add fuel to the concerns. OpenAI said “two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China” were “banned after they used our models in support of apparent covert influence operations that promoted narratives in an attempt to manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and wider tech policies.” The Bitcoin Policy Institute found the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized anti-data center campaigns in at least 14 states, opposing roughly $23.6 billion in AI investments, suggesting a coordinated national impact.
The lawmakers’ letter also warned: “Recent reports have also identified involvement of China-based tycoon Neville Roy Singham and his network of Marxist, communist, and socialist nonprofit organizations in influencing American AI discourse,” the letter to Blanche read. “A BPI report from last month also uncovered specific instances of a nationwide influence campaign to undermine the American AI supply chain being led by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), an unincorporated political party that acts as ‘the political arm of the Singham network’ with ties to socialist governments like Cuba and Venezuela.” That language is being used to press for federal scrutiny.
Republican lawmakers say the stakes are high: allowing foreign-directed campaigns to kneecap U.S. infrastructure would cede competitive advantage in a field that will shape national security and economic power for decades. They want the Justice Department to act quickly, trace funding, and expose any covert influence operations so local decisions reflect American interests and not foreign agendas.
Darnell Thompkins is a Canadian-born American and conservative opinion writer who brings a unique perspective to political and cultural discussions. Passionate about traditional values and individual freedoms, Darnell’s commentary reflects his commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue. When he’s not writing, he enjoys watching hockey and celebrating the sport that connects his Canadian roots with his American journey.