Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams struggled to get a word in as a Wisconsin audience bombarded him with boos and insults while he pitched the crowd on a proposed AI data center.Adams was told he belongs "in prison" amid a barrage of fierce heckles during a wild eight-minute exchange that showed residents repeatedly interrupting the former mayor over his support for the proposed data center."You belong in prison!" one crowd member shouted, seemingly referencing Adams’ dismissed federal corruption case.TEXAS GOV GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDITEric Adams, mayor of New York, listens during a House Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.(Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)Since leaving office, Adams has worked as a "pitchman" for several real estate-related technology companies, according to The Real Deal.
He said he closes about 80% of the deals he pursues.Adams appeared at the Wisconsin meeting on behalf of PNK Group, which is looking to develop a 209-acre data center at a former paper mill along the Wisconsin River."Whether we like it or not, folks, data centers are going to be here," Adams told the audience.Many Wisconsin residents in the crowd opposed the proposal and let Adams know it throughout his presentation.TOP ENERGY GROUP WARNS WEALTHY FOREIGNERS ARE POTENTIALLY BANKROLLING ANTI-DATA CENTER CAMPAIGNS ACROSS US"You’re here to steal our water!" one resident shouted.As data centers expand across the country, communities are weighing new job opportunities against concerns over power, water and local impact.(Meta)"Get out of here!" another resident shrieked."Put it in your backyard!," yet another said."Anyone can heckle, but not everybody can communicate," Adams said in response.Adams offered to answer questions about the data center and engage in what he called a "dialogue."The former NYC mayor urged the crowd to stop the "hate on technology...