Foreign-Linked Network Linked to $23.6 Billion in Stalled US AI Projects

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) has played a decisive role in halting construction projects, including a $5 billion development in Prince George's County, Maryland, and a $12 billion Blackstone-backed campus in DeForest, Wisconsin. Researchers tracked how the PSL orchestrated 10 data center moratoria and a permanent ban in Monterey Park, California, often masking its influence within broader local coalitions. The PSL’s leadership features individuals who simultaneously run nonprofits associated with Singham, a U.S. expatriate currently under federal scrutiny for his documented connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

While local residents often raise legitimate concerns regarding electricity pricing and water usage, the report argues these authentic grievances are being amplified by a coordinated foreign influence campaign. Sam Lyman, head of research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, noted that the network appears committed to obstructing the U.S. data center buildout to secure a strategic advantage for Beijing in the global AI race. The PSL operates with near-total financial opacity, as it is not required to disclose donors or file standard tax forms, leaving the source of its funding largely unknown to the public.

Federal investigators are now intensifying their focus on the Singham network. Senator Tom Cotton has formally requested a Justice Department probe into Singham, while the House Energy and Commerce Committee is seeking an FBI investigation into foreign efforts to sabotage U.S. infrastructure. These developments coincide with internal findings from OpenAI, which recently identified a Chinese-linked operation using artificial intelligence to generate content specifically designed to stoke opposition to domestic data centers.