Bitcoin company asks court to stop election to incorporate rural Hood County
MARA Holdings, a Bitcoin company at the center of a controversy over residents’ complaints about noise from its cooling fans, is seeking a temporary restraining order against several Hood County officials to stop an election to incorporate an area known as Mitchell Bend from going forward.
MARA filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against Hood County attorney Matt Mills, County Judge Ron Massingill and Election Administrator Stephanie Cooper, alleging that a citizen-led petition to incorporate did not meet the legal requirements.
Shortly after filing suit in the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth division, the company filed the temporary restraining order request. Hood County officials have until Thursday to respond.
Hood County Attorney Matt Mills did not return a phone call seeking comment, and MARA Holdings did not return a message.
MARA alleged in its motion that there was “evidence of unconstitutional collusion between Defendants and a small group of citizens.”
Other allegations included election notices should have been posted in three places at least 10 days before the election and that there was a Google Earth image instead of an official boundary map posted on a website called Protect Hood County.
The site was created by Danny Lakey, who helped organize the incorporation effort as a last ditch effort to fight noise pollution from MARA and pollution from nearby power plants.
The temporary restraining order motion alleged that the website had misleading information.
Cheryl Shadden, another leader in the incorporation effort, said she voted Wednesday afternoon, and does not believe the election can be stopped.
“I feel confident that it will go forward,” she said.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Bitcoin company asks court to stop election to incorporate rural Hood County."