SALT LAKE CITY — Deeda Seed calls it “a David versus Goliath fight.”
Seed, the senior Utah campaigner at the Center For Biological Diversity is among thousands of Utahns who have voiced their opposition to the Stratos data center project proposed in Box Elder County.
Investor Kevin O’Leary, whose company is developing the data center, has turned to the professionals. According to public records reviewed by FOX 13 News, O’Leary Ventures Co. has hired lobbyists Casey Hill and Lincoln Shurtz.
The pair are principals at Lincoln-Hill Partners. They have long histories working with Utah politicians.
“Had I been advising him, that's exactly the right lobbying firm to go to connect him quickly” with politicians, said Leah Murray, a political science professor at Weber State University.
Utah legislature to explore impact of data centers:
Hill managed an election campaign for Utah Senate President Stuart Adams. Adams is also on the board of the Utah Military Installation Development Authority. Known as MIDA, it is serving as a developer on the Stratos Project.
Hill and Shurtz, in an email, declined an interview request with FOX 13 News, saying they do not discuss their work for a client. Hill briefed reporters May 4 after the Box Elder County Commission passed a resolution to allow the data center to proceed.
Public records do not state what O’Leary’s company is paying Lincoln-Hill, but Utah Transparency shows what cities and counties have paid the firm so far in 2026 to lobby lawmakers on their behalf.
Murry said lobbyists provide politicians with information. That’s important in a part-time legislature like Utah’s. Congress and full-time legislatures have staff to perform research.
“There's literature on how (lobbying has) a bigger effect in our citizen legislatures and a lower effect in the more professional legislatures,” Murray said.
Seed sees a practical effect of hiring lobbyists.
“They have access to political leaders that we don’t,” she said.
