Two women fined after protesting AI data center at Port Washington meeting
Two women were fined $187 each for disorderly conduct after protesting a $15 billion AI data center project during a Port Washington Common Council meeting. A judge upheld the citations, saying public meetings require both free speech and orderly conduct.
Three women were arrested after disrupting public comments at a December Port Washington Common Council meeting focused on an AI data center under construction north of downtown. Christi LeJeune was removed after repeatedly chanting "recall" after her speaking time ended, while Julie Ann Wanderer attempted to stop officers from removing her. The women challenged their citations in Port Washington Municipal Court.
One citation was dismissed, but Judge Brian? found LeJeune and Wanderer guilty of the noncriminal disorderly-conduct offense and fined each $187. The judge acknowledged that the data center has been a contentious issue in Port Washington, while emphasizing that public forums must maintain rules of decorum. The mayor did not comment on the case, though city officials previously said they wanted to provide a secure and respectful meeting environment.