Lawler, Weber and Kenny Hold Press Conference in Orangeburg, Push Back on Conley's Data Center Claims
Republican officials held a press conference in Orangeburg to dispute Democratic candidate Cait Conley’s claims about Rep. Mike Lawler’s role in Rockland County data center approvals. The political dispute also highlighted proposals to temporarily pause new data center construction while additional community protections are considered.
Rep. Mike Lawler, State Sen. Bill Weber and Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny held a press conference near the JPMorgan Chase data center in Orangeburg, arguing that Lawler had no direct role in approving data center projects in Rockland County. Kenny said those decisions were handled by Orangetown’s local building and planning authorities after extensive reviews.
The event followed criticism from Democratic congressional candidate Cait Conley, who has linked Lawler to the development of five data centers during his time in public office. Conley’s campaign said Lawler backed policies favorable to data centers and opposed efforts to temporarily halt new construction. Nyack Village Administrator Andy Stewart and Mayor Joe Rand, who are aligned with Conley on the issue, have supported a temporary pause while additional protections for surrounding communities are developed. The controversy is central to contested congressional and state Senate races in Rockland County.