Third Project Camellia Lawsuit Alleges Racketeering
Three Effingham County residents filed a third lawsuit related to Project Camellia, accusing OpenAI, private developers and local officials of fraud, conspiracy and civil racketeering. The suit seeks financial damages but does not ask the court to stop the proposed $20 billion data center project.
Three Effingham County residents filed a civil lawsuit in Effingham County State Court accusing OpenAI, its affiliate Octans GA LLC, Savannah Industrial Development LLC and local officials of coordinating to secure land, tax incentives and zoning approvals for Project Camellia while withholding information from residents. The complaint names all six county commissioners, the county manager and the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and treble damages under Georgia's civil RICO law.
The plaintiffs, Dr. Michelle Finch-Mincey, Lehman Mincey Jr. and Raymond Carver, say the proposed data center has reduced property values and affected their ability to sell nearby homes. The county declined to comment because the litigation is pending. The lawsuit is the third legal challenge involving Project Camellia, but it does not seek an injunction or otherwise halt development; the allegations have not been proven.