SEATTLE — Three Amazon software engineers testified at Seattle City Council hearings concerning data center construction regulations in early June 2026, after which Amazon launched an internal investigation into the employees. Following this, the three employees filed a joint complaint with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.

The employees, Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesl Wigand, referenced a municipal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on political expression during their testimony. The council approved a one-year moratorium on the development of large-scale data centers on June 9, 2026. On June 10, 2026, Amazon Employee Relations representatives summoned Schloesser, Irani, and Wigand individually to unscheduled video meetings. HR representatives informed the three employees that the company was conducting an internal investigation. They also stated that disciplinary measures, including termination, could be imposed.

The complaint submitted by the employees requests regulatory intervention and cites the city's prohibition against political discrimination in the workplace. During their testimony, the employees identified themselves as members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice; they did not claim to represent the corporation. Schloesser stated that during his video meeting, HR personnel inquired about his physical location and his specific remarks at the council session. Irani reported receiving a calendar invitation from HR on June 9, 2026, for a discussion regarding a confidential matter.

Schloesser stated, "I am unwilling to accept a reality in which Amazon or any corporation can silence me in exercising my rights." He also said, "We are not going to step back in line." Irani said, "All I did was testify because I believe it's critical that the government regulates data centers and AI." He added, "I did not speak on behalf of the company, only as a private citizen exercising my rights to share my opinion that AI and data centers should be regulated."

Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan said, "While our teammates are always free to talk about their working environment, we have policies against speaking as a representative of the company without following certain procedures." Callahan said claims about employee termination risk were inaccurate. She said, "It is also inaccurate to say that we have plans to terminate these employees or told them they were at risk of termination."