ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Campaign contributions from TeraWulf founder and CEO Paul Prager and his wife to Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller are drawing scrutiny as the company moves forward with plans to redevelop the Morgantown Generating Station property in Charles County.
Maryland campaign finance records reviewed by The BayNet show Paul Prager and Joanne Prager each contributed the maximum $6,000 allowed under state law to Wes Moore For Maryland on Jan. 7, 2025, for a combined $12,000.
The BayNet also confirmed that each contributed another $6,000 to Friends of Aruna Miller on the same day, bringing the total contributed to the two campaigns to $24,000.
The contributions were listed as monetary contributions by check.
Maryland campaign finance rules generally limit an individual to $6,000 in contributions to any one political committee during the four-year election cycle, although donors may contribute separately to multiple committees.
The donations later drew attention during the 2026 gubernatorial campaign as questions emerged about the Moore administration’s involvement with TeraWulf’s plans for the Morgantown property.
The contributions themselves are legal. The scrutiny centers on their timing and the state’s subsequent interactions with TeraWulf.
State Support Followed Contributions
Moore did not sell or transfer the Morgantown Generating Station to TeraWulf. The company entered into a private agreement to acquire the property.
Before TeraWulf publicly announced its plans in February 2026, Prager and company representatives had been communicating with the Moore administration about the proposed redevelopment.
Prager met with Moore in October 2025, roughly nine months after the campaign contributions were made.
Prager also sought written state support for the project.
In a June 4 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Citizen cited nonpublic communications between Prager and Moore that the organization contends show TeraWulf was seeking $100 million in taxpayer money to help cover costs associated with the Morgantown acquisition. Portions of the communications included in the filing were redacted.
The BayNet previously reported on the $100 million funding issue and Public Citizen’s effort to force disclosure of the Morgantown purchase price.
In December 2025, Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain sent TeraWulf a letter offering assistance with environmental remediation and pledging the state’s “best efforts” to help expedite certain approvals tied to the redevelopment.
The BayNet previously reported that advocates had called on Moore to clarify the administration’s support for the project.
Morgantown Redevelopment
TeraWulf publicly announced its Morgantown acquisition agreement in February 2026.
The company plans to redevelop the former coal-fired power plant site as the Chesapeake Data Campus, a large-scale project involving data center operations, power generation and battery storage.
The proposal has drawn opposition from some residents and environmental groups over concerns involving energy demand, emissions, noise and potential impacts near the Potomac River.
TeraWulf has argued the project would bring major private investment, infrastructure improvements and economic activity to Charles County.
Administration Denies Special Treatment
Moore’s administration has denied that the campaign contributions influenced its handling of the project.
The administration has maintained that TeraWulf is not receiving special treatment and has characterized the state’s involvement as part of its normal economic-development and environmental-remediation efforts.
TeraWulf has similarly maintained that state support related to cleanup and economic development rather than advance approval of the full data center proposal.
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