Jon Tester's advisory appointment follows sharp backlash from congressional Democrats over Palantir's ties to the Trump administration and its federal tracking initiatives. Lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden, have scrutinized the company's $30 million contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and signaled possible compulsory investigations. Internal critics and former staff have also claimed that tracking migrant movements violates the tech firm's internal code of conduct. Palantir continues to push back against mass surveillance allegations, maintaining that its tools merely assist clients with organizing their own internal data.
Key points
Palantir is reinforcing its political outreach to help navigate incoming oversight from D…: Palantir is reinforcing its political outreach to help navigate incoming oversight from Democratic congressional leaders.
The company strongly rejects surveillance accusations, arguing that it creates organizati…: The company strongly rejects surveillance accusations, arguing that it creates organizational software rather than collecting or trading private data.
Lawmakers may pursue compulsory legal processes to investigate the software company's Dep…: Lawmakers may pursue compulsory legal processes to investigate the software company's Department of Homeland Security contracts in the upcoming legislative term.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
By Luke Garrett
Monday, November 9, 2026 • 5:00 AM EST
Heard on Morning Edition
Tech companies are expecting a wave of scrutiny from Democrats for the industry's ties with the Trump administration when they take over Congress in January. In anticipation, many are hiring former Democratic lawmakers and aides to make their case to the incoming House and Senate majorities.
Related Story: NPR
Among the latest to make that move is Palantir, which has hired former Sen. Jon Tester, a colorful Montana Democrat who's also an organic farmer.
"My agreement with Palantir is advisory in nature, it is not lobbying," Tester, who lost reelection to the Senate in 2024, told NPR in an interview.
The secretive American software and artificial intelligence company has drawn the ire of Democrats in Congress during President Trump's second term. Palantir — named by billionaire founder Peter Theil after the mythical "seeing stone" from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings — has been accused of abetting mass surveillance on Americans and immigrants.
"Perception is reality in Washington, D.C. and in politics in general,"…
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