Stacy Garrity criticizes Gov. Josh Shapiro's AI data center policy shift
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity criticized Governor Josh Shapiro's new executive order on AI data center development, calling it a flip-flop and alleging hypocrisy regarding campaign donations. Shapiro's order ends fast-tracking for projects not meeting new requirements, which Garrity contrasted with the earlier announcement of a $20 billion Amazon Web Services project in the state. Shapiro's campaign denies Garrity's claims.
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican candidate for governor, has publicly criticized Governor Josh Shapiro's recent executive order concerning AI data center development. Garrity characterizes the order, which mandates new requirements for fast-tracking projects, as a reversal of Shapiro's prior stance. She accused the governor of "gaslighting Pennsylvania families" and flip-flopping, highlighting his previous announcement of a $20 billion Amazon Web Services AI expansion project in Bucks and Luzerne counties.
Garrity further alleged that Shapiro, while criticizing data center developers as "predatory and greedy" on national television, had previously accepted substantial campaign contributions from these same developers, including Amazon itself. She claims her information on these donations comes from the Pennsylvania Department of State’s campaign finance reports.
In response, the Shapiro campaign denied Garrity's assertions regarding campaign donations and their sources, stating her figures are false and inconsistent. They characterized Garrity's true position as advocating for "aggressive deregulation" and the proliferation of "hundreds more" data centers, contrasting it with the governor's new policy.