Online attacks and Luigi Mangione-inspired death threats in ugly brawl to build California AI megaproject

A lawsuit has been filed by Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing and its attorney, Sebastian Rucci, alleging that nonprofit Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) and its executive director, Jose Luis Olmedo Velez, orchestrated an online attack to hinder the construction of a large AI data center. The lawsuit claims that the attack included calls for “public executions” and death threats inspired by Luigi Mangione.

The lawsuit further accuses CCV of attempting to delay the data center project in order to extort a financial settlement. It alleges that the group hired Jake Tison to create a vicious online campaign with over 100 false and defamatory posts and videos on social media platforms targeting IVCM and Rucci.

The lawsuit also alleges that Tison’s online posts falsely accused Rucci of fraud and other illegal activities, inciting violent threats from his followers. The suit claims that the online attacks escalated into threats of “public executions” and violence against the data center.

According to the lawsuit, CCV has a history of using legal challenges to delay projects and demand financial settlements. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of engaging in environmental terrorism and intimidation tactics to obstruct the data center project.

The lawsuit is part of the ongoing battle to build the state’s largest artificial intelligence data center. Google is rumored to be the potential tenant of the data center, although the company has denied involvement in the project.

Rucci has condemned the actions of the activists and accused them of extortion. He believes that once their tactics are exposed, the project will move forward without hindrance.

In response to the lawsuit, Douglas Carstens, an attorney for CCV, stated that the claims are baseless and lack factual support. He defended CCV’s advocacy efforts for environmental protection in the Imperial Valley.

Rucci expressed frustration with the regulatory challenges in California that make large data center projects difficult to realize. Despite the state’s tech prominence, developers are considering moving projects out of state due to regulatory hurdles.

Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing believes that the data center project will bring economic benefits to the region, creating jobs and generating tax revenue. The project has faced legal disputes and opposition from activists since its proposal in 2024.

Last month, tensions escalated at a county meeting where residents raised concerns about the project’s impact on health, utilities, and the environment. The project’s developers have been accused of bypassing regulations to expedite construction.