A tech giant behind data center Project Jupiter spent over $3.4 million on a promotional push — possibly the largest such ever in New Mexico — earlier this year as it sought to influence the state Environment Department to approve an air quality permit, according to records made public Wednesday.
Oracle — one of the main companies behind the massive data center under construction in Doña Ana County — disclosed its expenditures voluntarily and registered its advertising campaign as a result of a State Ethics Commission investigation.
The $3.44 million, spent between January and April, all went to the national Republican political consulting and advertising firm BrabenderCox for media production and buys and various consulting and polling-related purposes, according to Oracle’s expenditure report, dated Sept. 11. In a Wednesday news release announcing Oracle had voluntarily come into compliance with state disclosure law, the commission called it “likely the largest lobbying advertising campaign ever disclosed in New Mexico.”
In an email, Oracle spokesperson Michael Egbert wrote the company has “worked cooperatively” with the ethics commission and disclosed its advertising campaign as requested.
“From the outset, Oracle has been transparent that it funded the Project Jupiter Together campaign and has publicly communicated about the project and its potential benefits for New Mexico,” Egbert wrote. “The campaign continues to reach thousands of New Mexicans who had not previously heard about Project Jupiter and its plans, as well as thousands who are excited about the opportunities the project can bring to their community and economy.”
The ethics commission also reached a settlement agreement last month with Elevate New Mexico, the secretive organization behind another extensive advertising campaign supporting Project Jupiter. The limited liability company registered in Virginia received nearly $3.7 million in contributions, all from Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC — the developers behind Project Jupiter.
New Mexico’s Lobbyist Regulation Act requires organizations conducting lobbying advertising campaigns to register with the secretary of state and disclose their spending. The sustained marketing campaign overlapped with the Environment Department’s public comment period for the related to an air quality permit — which, according to the commission’s investigation, that was no coincidence.
The commission “collected evidence tending to show that Oracle conducted a multi-faceted advertising campaign for the purpose of attempting to influence officials at the New Mexico Environment Department to approve Yucca Growth Infrastructure’s air quality permit application, which is necessary for Project Jupiter to proceed,” Wednesday’s release states.
The advertising push included a website, projectjupitertogether.com, with a form visitors could add their names to to submit supportive public comment, along with ads on TV, radio and social media, a “statewide canvassing operation” with paid canvassers soliciting supportive public comment and paid ads through social media influencers directing viewers to the website.
Project Jupiter’s air quality permits are still uncertain: The New Mexico Supreme Court last month paused state regulatory proceedings for air quality and water use permits for the project, in response to petitions from environmental groups claiming a lack of due process.
Egbert on Wednesday touted the project’s benefits, calling it a “generation investment … that is expected to deliver $4.7 billion in economic benefits, create 7,000 construction jobs and support 1,500 ongoing jobs in the region.”
“We believe New Mexicans should have access to accurate information about the project, and we will continue to engage openly with communities and comply with applicable disclosure requirements,” he wrote.
Campaign cash
Elected officials throughout New Mexico have become more vocally critical of Project Jupiter in recent months, raising concerns about projected emissions and water use even as groups and executives connected to the data center have been making generous political contributions.
National companies and individuals with ties to Project Jupiter have contributed more than $87,000 to the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland, who despite this has been a critic of data centers and has said she supports a moratorium on their construction.
Oracle America Inc. and BorderPlex Digital Assets — another company representing the developers behind Project Jupiter — have contributed $46,000 in 2025 and 2026 to The Speaker Fund, a political committee affiliated with House Speaker Javier Martínez that acts as a major backer of other Democratic House candidates, as well as another $10,000 to Martínez’s campaign account.
“The Speaker’s Fund has helped House Democratic candidates run and win — ensuring that the people we elect to the Roundhouse represent the values of hardworking New Mexicans,” Martínez said in a statement Wednesday. “Donors who believe in universal childcare, affordable healthcare, and protecting the rights of women, immigrants and LGBTQ+ people have contributed to our movement.”
Several Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to push a statewide data center moratorium during the 2027 session, and Martínez indicated the contributions would not soften the caucus’s stance.
“New Mexicans have expressed their concerns about data centers, and we’ve heard them loud and clear,” he said. “House Democrats are working diligently on legislation to protect our precious water, our land, and our communities.”
Other major Democratic recipients of BorderPlex donations this election cycle, at $10,000 each, were Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, and Sens. Benny Shendo, D-Jemez Pueblo, and Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque.
Overall, Oracle and BorderPlex have given more than $147,000 to state-level Democratic candidates and committees during the current election cycle and a little more than $51,000 to Republicans. The biggest Republican beneficiaries have been Rep. Nicole Chavez, who represents a competitive Albuquerque district, and Sen. Larry Scott, R-Hobbs, each of whom received $10,000 contributions from Borderplex in 2025.
