Three Amazon Employees Face Investigation for Testifying About Data Center Regulation

Three Amazon software engineers—Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesel Wigand—are facing internal investigation and potential disciplinary action, including termination, after testifying before the Seattle City Council in early June about the need to regulate data centers. The employees, who work in different divisions of Amazon and are members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), identified themselves during public comment periods solely by their roles and organizational membership, not as company representatives.

On June 10, one week after the hearings and one day after the City Council passed a moratorium on large-scale data centers, the three were summoned to separate meetings with Amazon's Employee Relations department. HR representatives told them the company was investigating alleged violations of Amazon's corporate communications policy, which prohibits employees from acting as company spokespeople without approval. The employees contend they made only personal political statements about environmental and social impacts of data center construction, and did not represent themselves as Amazon spokespersons.

On June 18, the three filed a formal complaint with Seattle's Office for Civil Rights, arguing that Amazon's actions violate a Seattle city law that prohibits private employers from discriminating against employees based on their political beliefs and organizational affiliations. Their attorney, Abby Lawlor of Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt, emphasized that Seattle is among only a few jurisdictions in the country with such protections, and that the law provides legal recourse for tech workers to participate fully in local democratic processes.

The investigation is expected to take one to two weeks, and employees have been directed to use a speaker registration form that they believe does not apply to their personal comments. Two other Amazon employees who spoke at subsequent city council meetings have not received similar notices. The employees say they have received support from colleagues and note that Amazon did not make any formal company statement on the data center measure at issue. Amazon has not responded to requests for comment, though a company spokesperson previously stated that Amazon respects employees' rights to voice opinions and considers itself a responsible community steward.