Brad Finstad just took more money from Google and Syngenta

New FEC reports filed last night show that Rep. Brad Finstad took $5,000 from Google’s PAC on September 14, right as Google builds a controversial data center in Pine Island. Finstad also took another $2,500 on August 10 from Syngenta’s PAC, a company owned by the Chinese government that owns about 411 acres of farmland in Goodhue County.

The checks follow Finstad's votes for fast-tracking data centers and against crackIng down on foreign purchases of American farmland. Xcel Energy, which will power the Pine Island data center, also gave Finstad another $7,000 last quarter.

"Brad Finstad voted to make it easier for Google to build a data center right here in Pine Island, then took thousands in campaign cash from Google," said Jake Johnson. "And he got money from Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned corporation, after he voted to let them buy more of our farmland. Folks in southern Minnesota are worried about their electric bills, their water, and their farmland. I don't take a dime from corporations, and that’s why I’ll be able to stand up for our way of life."

More details:

The Google check. Google's PAC gave Finstad $5,000 on Sept. 14, and Xcel's PAC gave Finstad $7,000 in August and September. Google is building a data center in Pine Island that Xcel Energy will power, and Pine Island residents have raised concerns about its water use, energy use, and noise.
The data center votes. Finstad voted to speed up federal permitting for data centers. He has taken $33,000 from data center companies and voted to give over $80 billion in tax breaks to the companies building them. Jake supports a moratorium on data centers until key protections are guaranteed.
The Syngenta check. On Aug. 10, Finstad took another $2,500 from Syngenta's PAC, bringing his total from Syngenta's PAC to $25,000. Syngenta is owned by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned company that the Pentagon lists as a "Chinese military company."
The farmland. Syngenta owns about 411 acres of farmland in Goodhue County. Arkansas forced Syngenta to sell its farmland there on national security grounds. Finstad voted against cracking down on foreign purchases of farmland and even voted against funding the system USDA uses to track foreign purchases of American farmland. Last week, Jake called on Finstad to give Syngenta's money back. He hasn't.

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