A Louisiana state senator who helped pave the way for Meta to build one of the world's largest datacenters has been buying and selling land around the site, raising serious questions about potential violations of state ethics laws, a Floodlight investigation has found.
Senator's Role in Meta's Hyperion Datacenter
For more than two years, Republican state Senator John “Jay” Morris worked to advance Meta's Hyperion datacenter in Richland Parish. He lobbied a utility regulator for key approvals, cosponsored two bills enabling the land deal between Meta and the state, and voted for tax breaks worth an estimated $3.3 billion.
Now, Floodlight has discovered that while Morris used his political position to support the project, he and his business partners were buying and selling land around it. As recently as February, Morris and his partners sold hundreds of acres to utility giant Entergy for a methane-burning power plant to supply electricity to the datacenter.
Ethics Concerns Raised by Experts
Ethics experts said Morris's actions raise serious issues. Dane Ciolino, a professor of governmental ethics at Loyola University New Orleans, described a “sustained pattern” of creating legal authority, backing tax breaks, lobbying regulators, and quietly positioning personal real estate around the project. La Koshia Roberts, a former chair of the Louisiana Board of Ethics, said Morris should have recused himself from voting.
Morris denied wrongdoing, stating that his land holdings are public record and that the tax breaks applied to all datacenters, not just Meta. “Under Louisiana's ethics laws, I don't have a conflict,” he said.
Land Deals and Legislative Actions
Morris owns or co-owns two dozen properties spanning more than 2,000 acres near the datacenter. Since Meta's announcement in December 2024, he has bought seven properties within five miles of the site. The timing of these purchases closely followed his legislative actions.
In 2024, Morris cosponsored and voted for a bill giving the Louisiana Economic Development agency (LED) authority to lease state-owned property. Shortly after, LED leased the site to Meta. Four months later, Morris and his business partners, the Franklin family, paid $1.2 million cash for an 80-acre plot across from the project. Morris then cosponsored another bill allowing LED to sell state property, and three months after it became law, LED sold the site to Meta.
Morris said he did not disclose his interest in the project during legislative proceedings. “There was nothing to require me to do that,” he said.
Lobbying and Subsequent Sales
Morris personally lobbied Public Service Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan to approve Entergy's power plants for the datacenter. Four weeks after the commission's vote, Morris and the Franklins signed agreements to sell nearly 300 acres to Entergy for one of the plants. Morris said he was under a non-disclosure agreement and did not disclose his negotiations to Coussan.
Morris also sold rights of way to Entergy across four other properties for transmission lines and utilities. The sale prices were not disclosed, as Louisiana law does not require public disclosure.
Broader Context and Response
Morris has become a prominent political figure since Governor Jeff Landry took office, chairing a judiciary committee and serving on financial committees. He has also authored controversial bills on congressional redistricting and court clerk positions.
Morris defended his actions, saying the bills were broad restructuring efforts, not targeted at Meta. He said his land holdings are for farmland and rent, but acknowledged hoping for economic development.
When asked about experts alleging ethics violations, Morris said, “They're wrong. If they think it's egregious, why haven't they turned me in?”
This story is from Floodlight in collaboration with Verite News and the Louisiana Illuminator.
