Haaland chokes on Project Jupiter cash question, REFUSES to return their $87K

Democrat gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland’s attempt to appear tough on New Mexico’s increasingly controversial data center boom ran headfirst into a glaring campaign cash problem Thursday after she was pressed on donations tied to Project Jupiter — and did not commit to giving the money back.

At a press conference in Albuquerque, Haaland announced she would sign a day-one executive order imposing a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center projects if elected governor, saying the pause would remain in place until the Legislature creates new “guardrails” for the industry. Her announcement came just days after reporting showed her campaign had accepted at least $87,200 from data-center-related sources connected to Oracle and Clayco, two major entities tied to Project Jupiter. Searchlight New Mexico reported that Oracle America gave Haaland $12,400, while individuals matching top leaders at Oracle and Clayco gave at least $74,800 more.

Project Jupiter has become one of the most politically explosive development fights in New Mexico, with residents and environmental groups raising concerns over water, power, permitting, transparency, and the sheer size of the proposed artificial intelligence data center campus in Doña Ana County. Oracle has promoted the project as a major economic opportunity, saying it has already delivered nearly $80 million in tax revenue and is expected to bring more than $4.7 billion in long-term economic impact to the state and county.

But while Haaland tried to pitch herself as the candidate who would hold data centers accountable, a KOB 4 reporter asked the question hanging over the entire event: “Some reporting came out recently tying tens of thousands of dollars of donations from Project Jupiter to your campaign. How do you assure voters that this will be a fair process in holding Project Jupiter accountable?”

Haaland did not answer by saying she would return the money. She did not pledge to reject future Project Jupiter-linked cash. Instead, she launched into a defense centered on the cost of campaigns.

“Thank you so much for the question. And of course, I’m the first person to say that elections are entirely too expensive. You know, I’m a lot older than a lot of folks in this room. I remember when presidential elections for the entire country cost 25 million dollars and now, um, it’s just over the top at how expensive everything has gotten. Uh, trust me, I wish I didn’t have to raise as much money as I do just to be able to protect New Mexicans and have a better New Mexico for everyone. Uh, but I believe that I can walk and chew gum at the same time. Um, my first, if I’m elected governor, my first, uh, priority is for every single New Mexican to make sure that our communities are safe, healthy, that they can move forward, that they have, um, the investments they need. We are facing, uh, some really tough times. Uh, forty percent of our population who are on Medicaid stand to lose those benefits on January first. Uh, our, uh, SNAP benefits that people rely on, um, I am — I feel very confident that I know how to navigate the federal government. And so I am working very hard and not taking anything for granted in this election.”

KOB 4 later shared the exchange on X, writing, “Deb Haaland says she will sign a moratorium on data centers until certain protections are in place. When KOB asked about campaign donations from Project Jupiter, here was her response.” The post had drawn thousands of views within hours.

The response quickly drew criticism online, with X users accusing Haaland of dodging the question. One commenter credited KOB for asking but said the answer was “nothing more than word salad.” Another wrote that she “didn’t answer the question,” while another asked why she accepted $12,400 from Oracle “if she doesn’t like data centers.”

Others focused on Haaland’s “walk and chew gum” line. One commenter wrote that if Haaland could do both, “then she should return the money back to Project Jupiter and tell them New Mexico and our water are not for sale.” Another commenter said she was “meanwhile receiving money from Project Jupiter,” while another praised KOB for asking the question but added, “Too bad she didn’t answer it.”

The backlash also reflected the broader public frustration surrounding Project Jupiter. Oracle disclosed more than $3.4 million in spending to promote the project as it sought to influence the state Environment Department’s review of an air quality permit, according to Searchlight New Mexico. The State Ethics Commission called it “likely the largest lobbying advertising campaign ever disclosed in New Mexico.”

Haaland’s campaign is now trying to walk a narrow line: accepting data center-linked money while promising to regulate the same industry. Her proposal calls for a pause on new large-scale data centers and requirements related to transparency, tribal consultation, renewable energy, water protections, union jobs, decommissioning bonds, and clawbacks for companies that fail to meet state standards. New Mexico Political Report reported that Haaland said she “cannot be bowled over with donations to my campaign” and that Project Jupiter would have to follow state law under her proposed framework.

But the central issue remains unresolved. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican account provided from the press conference, Haaland said she had not had conversations about returning the campaign money but planned to discuss the idea with her team. In other words, after being directly asked about the Project Jupiter-linked donations, Haaland still did not commit to returning the cash.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Gregg Hull has criticized the timing of Haaland’s announcement, calling her moratorium push suspicious after revelations about the Oracle and Project Jupiter-linked donations. New Mexico Political Report reported Hull saying her press conference came two days after it was discovered that she had taken nearly $100,000 from Oracle and Project Jupiter executives.

For Haaland, the optics are difficult: stand in front of an “Agua es Vida” message, promise to protect New Mexico’s water, and then decline to clearly say she will give back money tied to the very data center interests now seeking influence and approval in the state.

Her answer to KOB’s question did not include a bright-line pledge. It did not include, “I will return the money.” It did not include, “I will stop taking Project Jupiter-linked donations.” Instead, Haaland lamented the cost of elections, insisted she could “walk and chew gum at the same time,” and pivoted to Medicaid, SNAP, and the federal government.

For New Mexicans already skeptical of Project Jupiter, Haaland’s response may only deepen concerns that her new data center crackdown is less about drawing a hard line against Big Data and more about political damage control after the money trail became public.

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