Former Sen. Jon Tester Takes Advisory Role at Palantir

NPR reported Monday that Tester, a three-term Democrat who lost his 2024 reelection bid, will help Palantir navigate its relations with the incoming Congress. Tester said he would not act as a lobbyist. He told NPR the company’s challenge was largely one of “perception” and said it “believes in privacy.” He also argued that Palantir differs from companies that build large databases.

Palantir says it does not collect or own the personal data its software processes. Its systems can, however, consolidate and analyze information from multiple sources. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used the company’s ELITE application to combine address data from federal health and immigration records, commercial databases and criminal records to identify potential targets for raids. Democracy Docket reported that ICE had tried to add voter information from at least six states to the platform. A WIRED investigation reported that agents in Maine used Palantir’s Investigative Case Management system to assemble dossiers on activists observing immigration enforcement, including license plate and facial-recognition information.

The company, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has received tens of millions of dollars in federal contracts supporting President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation campaign, according to the article. Democrats have vowed to scrutinize its practices when they take control of investigative committees in January. Sen. Ron Wyden, who is set to chair the Senate Finance Committee, has threatened to use compulsory investigative powers if Palantir does not answer questions about its role in immigration enforcement and its handling of Americans’ personal information.

The article also points to possible ties between Palantir and the administration. Stephen Miller, described as the architect of Trump’s deportation policy and appointed White House chief of staff last week, disclosed selling up to $250,000 in Palantir stock last summer. Several former Palantir employees have taken government posts, while Thiel helped finance Vice President JD Vance’s political rise.

Tester’s appointment drew criticism from some observers. Pollster Adam Carlson called it “just about the grossest way he could end his career,” while David Sirota, founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, described the shift from surveillance critic to adviser as “on-brand.” The article also cites former Democratic senators Kyrsten Sinema and Heidi Heitkamp as examples of lawmakers moving into advisory or advocacy roles in industries criticized by members of their party.