A mugshot turns a Kentucky data center dispute personal
A dispute over a proposed hyperscale data center in Mercer County, Kentucky, escalated when American Farm Investors founder Brian Luftman allegedly threatened to publish the mugshot of local opponent Diane Floyd. Floyd, a member of the "We Are Mercer County" group, views this as an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing her advocacy against the project, which residents fear will negatively impact the environment and local resources. Luftman later apologized, claiming his intent was to highlight how slander feels.
Diane Floyd, a vocal opponent of a proposed hyperscale data center in Mercer County, Kentucky, reported that Brian Luftman, founder of American Farm Investors, allegedly threatened to publish her 2023 mugshot on Facebook. Floyd, a member of the "We Are Mercer County" group, which is concerned about the data center's potential environmental, land use, and resource impacts, believes the message was an attempt to intimidate her into silence. The dispute has become personal, with Floyd comparing it to other tactics used by project proponents.
Luftman later apologized to Floyd, stating his intent was not intimidation but rather to demonstrate the feeling of being slandered, referencing what he described as "pretty rude" posts against him in Facebook groups like "No Kentucky Data Centers." He expressed frustration over activists targeting his unrelated businesses, such as Never Say Die Bourbon, through calls for boycotts. The proposed data center project, supported by Burgin's school district for its potential tax revenue, continues to be a contentious topic in the community, with Floyd emphasizing her advocacy is based on factual research and expert consultations regarding environmental and health impacts.