A disturbing revelation has cast a shadow over America's drive for technological leadership: a self-proclaimed Marxist organizer, deeply embedded in a group with documented ties to the Chinese Communist Party, has successfully spearheaded efforts to block vital Artificial Intelligence data center projects in Virginia. This isn't just local zoning drama; it's a chilling demonstration of how foreign adversaries may be leveraging ideological proxies to undermine U.S. national security and economic progress from within.
Jack Tensley, an "organizer" with the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL) – a Marxist-Leninist organization openly committed to overthrowing capitalism – played a pivotal role in opposing AI data center development in Frederick County. Tensley appeared before the Frederick County Planning Commission in January, raising alarm bells about the projects' cost, energy use, and potential security risks.
"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 told commissioners. "I see a lot of risk here."
While Tensley voiced ostensibly local concerns, the context of his affiliation with PSL and its shadowy connections to the China-based Singham network paints a far more insidious picture. This isn't merely a concerned citizen; it's a direct link to a global influence operation.
As the United States races to build the cutting-edge infrastructure essential for powering artificial intelligence, community disputes over zoning and electricity have become fertile ground for larger political groups to amplify opposition to U.S. AI infrastructure. And who benefits when America’s technological advancement is stalled? Certainly not America.
The Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL) describes itself on its website as a political party focused on anti-war, labor, immigration, and socialist causes. Their manifesto is stark: "Capitalism is a failed system that, in its insatiable appetite for ever greater profits, threatens global ecological destruction." A clear anti-American, anti-freedom philosophy driving what appears to be a local activism campaign.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), a nonpartisan cryptocurrency think tank, has exposed PSL’s extensive reach, documenting its organization of anti-data center campaigns in at least 14 states, opposing a staggering $23.6 billion in critical AI investments. This is not isolated, random activism; it's a coordinated ideological assault on American innovation.
Even more alarming are PSL’s reported ties to Shanghai-based businessman Neville Roy Singham, who has faced intense congressional scrutiny over his connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Singham, who sold his tech company for $800 million and now resides in China, is accused of funneling $278 million into a vast network of pro-Chinese Communist Party nonprofits since 2017. These groups are known for organizing anti-ICE, anti-Israel, and pro-Iran demonstrations – a consistent pattern of anti-American and anti-Western agitprop.
This network’s clear objectives have prompted powerful lawmakers, including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), to demand a full investigation by the Department of Justice.
"Alarming reports indicate that a network of foreign actors, led by the Chinese Communist Party, is attempting to manipulate U.S. policy and public opinion on data centers," Senator Cotton warned in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He specifically cited "a network of U.S. nonprofits funded by Neville Roy Singham, a Shanghai-based American expatriate under U.S.-government scrutiny for his ties to the Chinese Communists."
While direct funding from Singham to PSL remains unclear, the BPI report forcefully concludes that "PSL functions as the movement’s ground game – supplying rallies, petitions, public hearings local candidates and neighborhood organizing necessary to stop projects on the ground." This paints a picture of a well-oiled, ideologically driven machine, potentially with foreign backing, systematically undermining America's future.
Tensley’s digital footprint further reveals his radical political leanings, including a $172 donation to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, according to FEC records. The connections between the radical left, anti-capitalist rhetoric, and foreign influence operations are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
In a victory for this subversive campaign, Tensley’s efforts appear to have paid off. Affiliated with "Protect Frederick County from Data Center Development," he signed a petition against the plans. Subsequently, the county board of supervisors voted 10 to 0 to recommend denial for a 220-acre development in Clearbrook, Virginia, and 7 to 1 against a second 71.8-acre project in Winchester.
The blocking of these critical AI data centers is a stark warning. It’s a testament to the insidious effectiveness of foreign-aligned, ideologically driven groups in leveraging local concerns to achieve broader strategic objectives that directly conflict with American interests.
The fight for our technological future, our national security, and our economic independence is clearly under assault, and the American people must remain vigilant against those who seek to sabotage our progress, whether from Beijing or from within our own borders.
