Hyperlink to map: https://id.land/maps/bceec029bd6c3318fa252467524c1661/share/unbranded

This story is from Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling local weather motion, in collaboration with Verite Information and the Louisiana Illuminator. The Lens can also be publishing a associated Floodlight Q&A interview with Morris.

For greater than two years, state Sen. John “Jay” Morris helped pave the way in which for Meta to construct one of many world’s largest knowledge facilities, referred to as Hyperion, in Richland Parish.

The Republican lawyer from West Monroe lobbied a utility regulator for a key approval. He co-sponsored two payments that enabled the land deal between Meta and the state. And he voted “yea” on two extra payments that offered the trillion-dollar tech firm with tax breaks price an estimated $3.3 billion.

Now, a Floodlight investigation has discovered that whereas Morris used his political place to advance the challenge, he and his enterprise companions have been shopping for and promoting the land round it over the previous 15 months.

As just lately as February, Morris and his companions offered a whole lot of acres to utility large Entergy for a methane-burning energy plant to supply electrical energy for the info middle. 

Morris’ current land offers haven’t been disclosed till at the moment, in keeping with Floodlight’s evaluate of legislative filings, votes, media protection and state Senate data. It’s unclear how a lot cash he has created from these transactions — Louisiana regulation doesn’t require patrons and sellers to publicly disclose sale costs. 

Specialists mentioned the senator’s actions elevate a critical problem of a doable violation of state ethics legal guidelines — equivalent to La. R.S. 42:1112(A), 42:1120 and 42:1101 — which prohibit authorities officers from taking part in official actions that profit them financially, require them to recuse themselves from voting when a battle exists and prohibit using public workplace for personal acquire.

“What makes it notably egregious shouldn’t be one remoted vote, however a sustained sample: creating authorized authority for a selected land deal, backing an enormous tax break, lobbying a regulator, quietly positioning private actual property across the challenge,” mentioned Professor Dane Ciolino, an knowledgeable in governmental ethics at Loyola College New Orleans. 

In an interview with Floodlight, Morris denied wrongdoing. He mentioned his land holdings are public document and that the tax breaks he voted for utilized to all knowledge facilities — not simply the Meta challenge. 

“ It makes a pleasant story in case you can attempt to present that I’ve some kind of battle,” Morris advised Floodlight. “However below Louisiana’s ethics legal guidelines, I don’t.”

After years of sustaining a comparatively low profile within the legislature, Morris has turn into a distinguished political determine since Gov. Jeff Landry took workplace. He’s chair of a judiciary committee, a member of three monetary committees and joined the highly effective State Bond Fee in 2024.

He’s additionally just lately turn into a lightning rod for controversy on the statehouse after authoring payments that may get rid of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional districts and one other that took away the seat of a Black courtroom clerk who had simply been elected in New Orleans.

Morris advised Floodlight his maps are supposed to guard Republican incumbents in Louisiana’s Home races. As for eliminating a courtroom clerk’s put up in New Orleans, he mentioned he merely needed to streamline courtroom operations in New Orleans — and held nothing towards the person.

“You could find some pundits and legal professionals to say dangerous issues about politicians. It’s fairly straightforward, we’re a well-liked goal. However I haven’t accomplished something improper,” Morris mentioned. 

“I simply hope you’d write a good story.”

Entergy and Hyperion

In Northeast Louisiana’s Richland Parish, former farmlands are remodeling into an unlimited expanse of concrete and metal.

Hyperion spans greater than 3,650 acres, an space greater than twice the dimensions of Rayville, the city beside it. As soon as up and operating, it’s anticipated to eat greater than seven instances the quantity of power every day than the town of New Orleans. 

Regardless of public opposition, state officers together with Morris have pushed the challenge ahead as a part of a nationwide data-center buildout. Since building started over a 12 months in the past, locals have complained of extreme air high quality points from mud blowing off the huge building web site and relentless visitors from heavy business autos round once-quiet rural streets. 

“Sure,  there are lots of complainers, and lots of the complainers are from out of state,” Morris mentioned. “However the individuals in our space are usually comfortable about it.” He argued that the challenge’s advantages embrace new high-paying jobs, an elevated tax base and cash pouring into the training system.

Meta advised Floodlight that the corporate is “dedicated to making a constructive impression” in Richland Parish, that it really works actively to restrict the impression of visitors on native residents and is investing in native faculties, nonprofits and small companies.

It was Entergy — not Meta — that originally pitched state officers on the challenge, in keeping with a commerce publication’s interview with Susan Bourgeois, who helped negotiate the deal as the pinnacle of the state’s financial growth company. 

The Louisiana Financial Improvement company issued an announcement saying that “any inference that Senator Morris inappropriately influenced LED or any of our initiatives is solely incorrect.” The administration “makes no apologies for bringing various companions collectively to drive the outcomes and alternatives our state has so lengthy deserved,” its spokesperson mentioned.

Entergy has claimed in regulatory filings that Hyperion’s immense energy wants would require a historic buildout of energy vegetation — sufficient to gasoline a greater than 50% improve in its statewide power-generation capability, in keeping with reporting from the Occasions-Picayune.

Morris, who grew up within the space, owns and co-owns two dozen properties spanning over 2,000 acres surrounding Hyperion, together with a minimum of three that share a border with the complicated, in keeping with the Richland Parish Assessor’s workplace. He’s held many for over a decade. 

“I purchased the property for farmland and the hire that’s derived therefrom. However would I hope that there can be some financial growth sometime? In fact. Completely,” he mentioned. “However was I relying on it? Did I do know it might occur? No. No one can learn the long run.” 

However now that the long run has arrived in Richland Parish, Morris has been on a shopping for spree.

Broadening energy, weakening oversight

Morris purchased seven properties inside 5 miles of the info middle for the reason that Meta announcement in December 2024 — plus a 165-acre tract about 10 miles southwest.

The timing of these land offers exhibits how intently he combined official actions with private enterprise dealings. 

In 2024, Morris co-sponsored and voted for a wide-ranging invoice that, amongst different issues, gave LED new authority to lease state-owned property. 

The state had bought a big tract of land from the household of Fred Scott Franklin, Sr. — Morris’ enterprise companions — almost 20 years earlier for a deal that fell by way of with a special firm. However shortly after the 2024 invoice handed, LED used its new authority to lease the positioning to Meta. 

4 months after Meta signed the lease, Morris and the Franklins paid $1.2 million money to purchase an 80-acre plot simply throughout the road from the challenge web site. Morris signed the deed in early 2025. Lower than two months later, one of many senate committees he’s a part of started contemplating a second invoice that may play a pivotal function in finalizing the state’s cope with Meta: giving LED the authority to promote state-owned property. 

By late April, Morris had signed on as co-sponsor and voted for its passage. 

By early Could, Morris and the Franklins had begun monetizing the property in a extra fast approach: turning it into a mud quarry for eventual use on the Meta job web site, the senator advised Floodlight.

Three months after that second invoice was signed into regulation, LED offered Meta the property that the tech firm had been leasing, which was only a stone’s throw from Morris’ land. 

That collection of occasions raises critical moral considerations, in keeping with La Koshia Roberts, a former chair and at the moment the longest-serving member of the Louisiana Board of Ethics — the physique that investigates potential moral misconduct by authorities officers. 

“ The truth that he really voted and didn’t recuse himself is a significant concern of mine,” Roberts mentioned. 

“When you might have your elected officers who will not be solely drafting proposed laws that she or he is aware of will profit them financially, personally financially, that’s one downside. However then to have that particular person proceed with this information and never disclose it, not even to his physique, not even to the committee, is problematic.” 

But throughout these legislative proceedings — which involved a dramatic overhaul of the state company in command of financial growth — Morris by no means talked about his curiosity within the state’s largest financial growth challenge. 

“ Lots of my colleagues know that I’ve land holdings in Richland Parish, a few of that are close to the Meta web site,” Morris advised Floodlight. “However no … I didn’t put it within the document and announce it. However there was nothing to require me to do this. And I don’t know why I would want to do this.”

The Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics states that an official with a considerable monetary curiosity in a governmental continuing should recuse from voting and disclose their curiosity in the event that they proceed to take part in discussions concerning the matter. . 

“He mustn’t have voted for it,” Roberts mentioned. 

Morris mentioned the payments he co-sponsored weren’t focused at any specific knowledge middle, and that though he signed on in help, he had nothing to do with drafting them. 

“ The LED payments have been a part of a broad restructuring that Secretary Bourgeois was pushing. I had no concept that any of that was wanted for the Meta growth,” he mentioned.

Based on Ciolino, the federal government ethics knowledgeable at Loyola, Morris’ strongest protection is that the payments and tax break utilized broadly to LED’s restructuring or all knowledge facilities — not simply the Meta challenge.

“That issues,” he mentioned. “However it doesn’t finish the evaluation.”

The query isn’t simply whether or not the invoice’s textual content was basic — it’s whether or not Morris had an financial curiosity in it better than that of a basic class or group of individuals, Ciolino mentioned, referring to a selected part of Louisiana regulation.

“A senator who owns dozens of close by parcels, co-owns adjoining land, sells filth for the challenge, and later sells land to Entergy for a challenge energy plant has a much more particularized financial stake than atypical residents and even atypical landowners within the area.”

Previous pals

Morris defined that he and his enterprise companions, the Franklins, are shut. He and Franklin Sr. have been pals since nursery college.

They personal a number of properties collectively, together with the one throughout the road from Meta. The Franklins have transferred Morris a minimum of $200,000 since 2015 as a part of a mutual enterprise endeavor renting out farmland, in keeping with Morris’ monetary disclosures and Fred Scott Franklin, Jr. The household has additionally contributed over $15,000 to Morris’ election campaigns over the previous 16 years, in keeping with state marketing campaign finance knowledge. 

Franklin Sr. and Morris have been additionally co-owners, together with a 3rd man, of an organization referred to as FMB Downtown Ventures, which hasn’t been lively for properly over a decade, in keeping with Franklin Jr. 

Franklin Jr. typically represents his household in media appearances and at enterprise occasions. He confirmed that Morris and the Franklin household are shut and have an extended historical past of buying and co-owning properties, which they typically lease to be used as farmland. 

He mentioned that Morris was not concerned in any negotiations with Meta. “ I’d very a lot disagree that Jay Morris was an lively participant in touchdown Meta to Richland Parish. I simply don’t assume that’s correct,” mentioned Franklin Jr. “I don’t assume he’s any extra answerable for it than whoever else voted for the gross sales tax exemption within the legislature.” 

The Franklins are one of many largest native beneficiaries of the Meta challenge: They owned almost the entire land that the info middle is being constructed upon. State officers dubbed the property the “Franklin Farms Megasite,” and Entergy has referred to the facility vegetation that might be connected to it because the Franklin Farms Energy Stations. 

When Entergy, LED and Meta held a press occasion to announce the challenge and carry out a ceremonial groundbreaking in December 2024, Fred Scott Franklin, Jr., was on stage holding a shovel. Governor Landry and Entergy’s CEO stood alongside him. Morris was additionally there and prominently featured in a promotional video Entergy circulated on Instagram to tout the occasion. 

“This challenge that Meta and Entergy have come collectively to deliver to Northeast Louisiana most significantly will deliver jobs and can deliver financial growth to a area that’s wanted it for thus a few years,” Morris mentioned within the video. 

Morris mentioned he didn’t keep in mind being filmed, hadn’t recognized the video existed and hadn’t obtained any cost from Entergy for being featured.

“ I assume they randomly noticed me and requested me a few questions or one thing,” he mentioned. 

‘I used to be below an NDA’

To construct three new gas-fired energy vegetation for Hyperion, together with 100 miles of high-voltage transmission traces, Entergy wanted a key approval from the Louisiana Public Service Fee.

And on Aug. 20, 2025, earlier than the fee voted 4-1 to approve Entergy’s $3.2 billion plan, Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan disclosed on the document that Morris had personally lobbied him to approve the vegetation.

“I additionally heard from Senator Jay Morris, who represents within the northeast, in help of the difficulty,” Coussan mentioned. 

4 weeks after the fee’s vote, Morris and the Franklins collectively signed agreements to promote almost 300 acres to Entergy for one of many firm’s methane-burning energy stations for Hyperion. That they had co-owned the property for roughly 15 years previous to the sale. 

Coussan, a Republican, had served alongside Morris within the state legislature till his election to the fee in 2024. Morris described him as a buddy and, in a single trade, alternated between saying he “didn’t attain out” to Coussan, was “fairly positive I didn’t even discuss to him,” and “in all probability did discuss to him some.” Later, by e mail, he mentioned, “I’m positive we seemingly mentioned it.”

Coussan advised Floodlight that any dialog he had with Morris was a part of his due diligence as a commissioner.

He additionally mentioned he solely discovered of Morris’ land offers from being contacted by Floodlight. 

“ No, we didn’t discuss his property, nor do I believe it was related to my deliberations,” Coussan mentioned. “I really don’t see what the story is.”

Entergy Louisiana advised Floodlight that it “acquired two websites close to the proposed facility that supply entry to essential infrastructure, together with electrical transmission traces, pure gasoline provide and pipelines, and transportation routes. The situation was chosen partly because of these benefits, in addition to its proximity to the client’s web site, which had been owned by the state for greater than 20 years.”

Morris identified that his land holdings are reported publicly in his annual monetary disclosures. However his most up-to-date disclosure is from 2024 — making the previous two years of his land offers troublesome to piece collectively. 

He was additionally clear that he didn’t disclose his Entergy negotiations to Coussan forward of the vote. 

“ I’m actually positive he didn’t know that I used to be gonna promote any land to Entergy as a result of I used to be below an NDA, and I couldn’t say something to him anyway,” Morris mentioned.

The NDA (nondisclosure settlement) is a beforehand undisclosed reality: Morris indicated he had a confidential business relationship with Entergy when he contacted Coussan — one which obligated him to not focus on his pending enterprise with the corporate.

Underneath Louisiana ethics regulation, the query shouldn’t be whether or not he was allowed to debate the deal, however whether or not he ought to have disclosed his private monetary curiosity to the regulator as a part of that dialog.

Morris additionally offered rights of technique to Entergy throughout 4 different properties he owns for the corporate to construct transmission traces and, in a single case, set up an entry street and lay water, sewer and different utility traces. 

How a lot Entergy paid Morris for the property and rights of approach stays unclear — neither he nor Franklin disclosed the values of any of their land offers when requested by Floodlight. However when property values rise, it drives up the costs that firms like Entergy should pay landowners to construct throughout their land. Underneath state regulation, the authorized commonplace of “simply compensation” requires Entergy to pay an quantity in keeping with the land’s worth.  

And property values beside the info middle have skyrocketed. 

“I’d argue simply compensation is loads totally different now than it was earlier than all this began,” Franklin Jr. defined. 

Attributable to one other new regulation handed that very same 12 months, and which Morris voted for, the roughly $12 million the state obtained from promoting land to Meta went again to a particular fund that LED controls and may use because it sees match to advance related financial growth initiatives across the state. 

The Meta deal is the primary of a number of related Landry-administration initiatives transferring by way of LED on the identical statutory authority Morris helped create. Landry’s workplace didn’t reply to Floodlight’s request for remark.

Over current years, the Louisiana Legislature has weakened ethics legal guidelines, in keeping with Roberts. Due to that, “ it’s crucial on the general public to be considerably extra conscious of potential unethical or questionable actions, and to demand extra from their elected officers,” she mentioned. 

When requested how he responds to consultants alleging that his conduct violated ethics guidelines, Morris replied:

 ”They’re improper. I’d guess whoever you talked to in all probability has an axe to grind or is politically against me — to what I do. However they’re free to show me into the ethics board, which I’m positive would do nothing. 

“But when they assume it’s egregious, why haven’t they turned me in?”

Associated