Money Behind the Mob

Dark Money Props Up the Anti-Data Center Hysteria

From Davis Hunt

Data Centers are the Current Thing. Those experienced in navigating the Current Thing, also known as the Omnicause, know all the tell-tale signs. Suddenly, as if a new universe of consciousness were spawning in front of our eyes, all anyone can talk about is the Thing.

Here in Nashville, when you start to pay attention to how this stuff operates, you begin to see the same faces at the protests. Whether it be agitating against the state’s exploration of turning down federal education dollars or, most recently, complaining about the state’s erection of a Monument to the Unborn on the grounds of the State Capitol, the characters recur.

What should strike you as odd about the data center debate is that it emerged spontaneously with perfectly coordinated talking points and widespread “grassroots” support from the same people stumping against every other progressive grievance from the past five years.

Local coverage has focused mostly on the legislation targeting the data centers, taking for granted that constructing them is bad and/or negative without much scrutiny beyond that.

But where did this all come from?

The Bitcoin Policy Institute released a report at the top of the week titled “Foreign Influence in the Campaign Against American AI.” The document lays out three different vectors of influence aimed at slowing US AI development. The three vectors are:

1. Chinese State Media and their English language affiliates.
2. The Neville Roy Singham network, currently under investigation for ties to the CCP.
3. A network of foreign, progressive billionaires focused on climate change.

The document goes into the first two in depth if you’re interested, but native to us here in Nashville is the third vector. Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss is the main character here. Wyss has no interest in becoming an American citizen but maintains a goal to “(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics.”

Due to his foreign status and inability to directly support candidates, he funnels money through two different charitable organizations, which, together, have put nearly $700 million into the US nonprofit sector. The primary vehicle is the Sixteen Thirty Fund, an organization at the center of the Arabella Advisors dark money network. Downstream of Arabella and Wyss are a number of organizations that signed a letter demanding a national data center moratorium.

In a report headlined ‘Democrats Decried Dark Money Then They Won With It in 2020,’ the New York Times lays out the Arabella Advisors dark money network and how, collectively, the groups pumped $1.2 billion into the 2020 election on behalf of Democrats.

One of these organizations, the New Venture Fund, which receives funding from Wyss and other progressive billionaires in the Arabella network, gives out lavish grants to groups across Nashville.

Since 2023, the New Venture Fund public filings show grants to a number of Nashville organizations totaling nearly $3 million. Groups like the Equity Alliance, Southern Movement Committee, and Stand Up Nashville all received grants.

Of interest to us here today is Stand Up Nashville, which received $80,000 in 2023. That year, Stand Up received at least 32 percent of its total revenue from non-local organizations like the New Venture Fund.

In Councilmember Rollin Horton’s announcement that he’d be filing legislation to restrict data center development in Nashville, he mentions the 14 council members supporting the bill in addition to Stand Up Nashville.

“I’m grateful to the 14 colleagues of mine who have already signed on to this bill as co-sponsors,” he wrote, “and to community organizations such as Stand Up Nashville who support strong regulations of data centers.” He then quoted Maryam Abolfazli, Organizing Director for Stand Up Nashville, outlining her reasoning for “ban[ning] hyperscalers.”

There’s a reason the term “dark money” exists. What I’ve just laid out is a bit like glimpsing through the fog trying to find a road sign.

The lesson you should learn here is that spontaneous activism that emerges complete with talking points, graphics, volunteer support, legislation, and wall-to-wall press coverage does not occur in a vacuum. This kind of activity requires money, coordination, and an agenda to tie it all together.

Debates over the pros and cons of a data center are worth having, and latent NIMBY-ism emerging in response to unwanted development is to be expected. But let’s not confuse ourselves about this whole thing: no discussion is being had.

Legislation its own sponsor barely understands is being lobbed through council like a brick through a window to own some imaginary supervillain and score political brownie points with a well-funded, dark money apparatus that will support your political ambitions.

✹ NEW AMERICAN FRONTIERS

New American Frontiers Kevin Dolan, founder of the EXIT fraternity, argues the institutions most people still rely on have turned hostile to competence and entered a slow decline that can't be reversed from within. After being doxxed and fired in 2021, he set out to build the alternative: parallel institutions and the high-trust networks that hold up when formal ones don't.

Join us Thursday, June 16th for a conversation on institutional decline, parallel power, and where the political openings actually are.

New Details Emerge About MNPS Audit & Stadium Audit Findings

MNPS Audit During today’s Metro Nashville Audit Committee meeting, it was revealed that Jennifer Manternach be leading the Metro Nashville Public Schools internal school fund audit. A separate report of MNPS activity funds is expected to be issued by the end of October.

Stadium Construction Also on the agenda was a report of the interim audit of the new Tennessee Titans stadium project. The scope of the audit examined five primary areas of compliance between April 26, 2023, and July 31, 2025. While there were no high-risk findings, there was one medium-risk finding and two low-risk findings.

• Medium-Risk Finding: Certain construction conditions were not consistently entered into the centralized quality management system. Architects were given direct access to the system to resolve the issue.
• Low-Risk Findings: The audit found that payment application documents were not always submitted at the same time as payment applications—though typically within about five days—and some conditional lien waivers lacked required notarization.
  
  Contractors and subcontractors were also slow to confirm payments, causing Metro's reports to temporarily undercount the amount of work completed by Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBEs). Auditors found the issue did not inflate DBE participation or indicate the goals were being missed, but warned the delays could create the false impression that DBE participation was lower than it actually was.

In response to the two low-risk findings, the project team created a payment application checklist, formalized the documentation submission process, and implemented enhanced procedures/deadlines for payment confirmations.

✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH

New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)

HEADLINES

• 🛫 Six state appointees have been selected for the new Metro Nashville Airport Authority board:

-House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s appointees: John Cheadle (aviation attorney) and Bobby Joslin (owner of a sign company)
-Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s appointees: Jimmy Granbery (head of H.G. Hill Realty) and Lt. Gen. Dennis Cavin (U.S. Army, retired)
-Gov. Bill Lee’s appointees: Stuart McWhorter (state Economic and Community Development commissioner) and Tony Giarratanna (Nashville real estate developer).

The remaining seats are intended to be filled by Mayor Freddie O'Connell, though Metro is challenging the new law in court.

• 🌱 TN's new hemp and kratom regulations. Starting on July 1, Tennessee has banned most THCA products and products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, a potent kratom-derived compound, while imposing stricter rules on the hemp products that remain legal. The changes have forced hemp farmers, processors, and retailers to adjust their business models, with some pivoting to federally compliant products or out-of-state markets. Supporters argue the restrictions address public health concerns while critics warn they could harm the hemp industry and drive consumers to unregulated alternatives. (Scene, WPLN, Banner)
• 📉 Memphis was the only city among TN’s 10 largest that didn’t grow from 2020-2025. New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show Memphis was the only major Tennessee city to lose population over the past year, while Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro have increased. Population growth across the state continues to be concentrated outside Memphis, leaving the city as an outlier among Tennessee's largest municipalities. (Tennessean)

DEVELOPMENT

• Boutique hotel planned for The Factory at Franklin (NBJ)
• Rising North Gulch tower to offer Marriott concept (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎻 Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 6p, $49, Info

🎙️ Sarah McLachlan @ FirstBank, 7:30p, $52, Info

🎸 Local Love: Blues Night ft. The Hi-Jivers @ Acme Feed and Seed, 7p, Free, Info

💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info

🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.