Don’t Want a Data Center in Your Town? You Might Be a Chinese Spy.
Utah political consultant Gabi Finlayson was accused by billionaire Kevin O'Leary of being a Chinese government operative due to her opposition to a proposed data center. Finlayson and her colleague Jackie Morgan refuted the claims, stating they are motivated by environmental concerns and community impact rather than foreign affiliations. The controversy highlights a growing backlash against large data center projects in Utah, which has garnered bipartisan support among locals.
- ▪Gabi Finlayson and Jackie Morgan were accused of being affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party by Kevin O'Leary.
- ▪The accusation arose from their opposition to a large data center project in Utah that could significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions.
- ▪Finlayson claims that the backlash against data centers is a bipartisan issue, reflecting widespread local discontent.
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| Original publisher | Mother Jones |
| Canonical URL | https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/kevin-oleary-mr-wonderful-data-center-utah-chinese-ccp-spy-ai/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 23 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-23T11:32:26.391Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-23T11:54:22.338Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "motherjones_right_rail_1", slotId: "ROS_ATF_300x600" }); “I’d probably get paid a lot more if I was” spying for China, one of O'Leary's targets replied.Mother Jones illustration; imageSPACE/Zuma Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Utah political consultant Gabi Finlayson was driving out of a canyon last week when she got the news that she had been accused of being a Chinese government operative. She was driving to a speaking engagement in central Utah with her colleague, Jackie Morgan. When their car climbed out of the canyon and back into cell service, their phones were going off.
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