Inside GOP Senate hopeful's financial ties to controversial data center boom

Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina and former chair of the Republican National Committee, holds between $246,000 and $690,000 in energy investments tied to companies involved in the state's data center expansion, according to his federal financial disclosure. The holdings have raised questions about whether Whatley or his family could benefit financially from his backing of data center growth, a topic that has become a flashpoint over zoning, energy demand and development in North Carolina, according to Fox News.

Most of the money sits in four companies: Duke Energy, Arista Networks, Dominion Energy and GE Vernova. Duke Energy is a major North Carolina utility, while GE Vernova manufactures gas turbines that power data centers run by firms such as Amazon and Microsoft. Whatley also reported earning $361,000 in 2025 from CAPCVentures LLC, a Washington consulting firm whose clients include GE Vernova, Centrus Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association; prior reporting put his total pay from that firm at roughly $755,000 since 2022.

Asked about a possible conflict of interest, Whatley's campaign pointed to his support for the Stop Insider Trading Act and for requiring officials to place assets in blind trusts, according to spokesperson DJ Griffin. The campaign also indicated Whatley wants data center decisions left to local communities, rather than favor or oppose particular projects statewide.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →