Palantir Hires Former Sen. Jon Tester Amid $2 Billion in Federal Contracts

Palantir Technologies has hired former Montana Senator Jon Tester to serve in an advisory role as the company prepares for increased oversight from the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress. Tester, who lost his reelection bid in 2024, will focus on the firm's government services business. His appointment comes as tech companies seek to manage their relationships with legislators who plan to scrutinize the industry's ties to the Trump administration.

Tester stated that his agreement with the company is advisory in nature and does not constitute lobbying. He noted that Palantir has a narrative it needs to communicate to the new majority in Washington. "Perception is reality in Washington, D.C. and in politics in general," Tester said. "But the fact is, I think Palantir has got a good story to tell, and they need to tell it. And hopefully folks will be receptive to it."

The software firm, which is valued at more than $350 billion, currently holds $2 billion in federal contracts. Government records show that the largest portion of these contracts are with the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State. The company also maintains contracts with the Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services. Palantir was founded by billionaire Peter Theil, who named the company after a seeing stone from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Democrats in Congress have accused Palantir of aiding mass surveillance of Americans and immigrants during President Trump's second term. In response, the company stated that it does not gather or manipulate data but instead creates tools for agencies and private firms to organize their own information. The company said it remains committed to protecting privacy and upholding liberal democratic values.

Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 30 other Democratic lawmakers requested answers regarding Palantir's Department of Homeland Security contracts earlier this year. Wyden's office said the senator was not fully satisfied with the company's response. "Senator Wyden has a number of questions about Palantir's work to facilitate the Trump-Vance abuse of government data that he intends to ask again as chairman of the Finance Committee," Wyden's staff wrote. "If Palantir is not responsive next year, compulsory processes will be on the table."

Aya Ibrahim, a senior fellow at the AI Now Institute, described the hiring of former lawmakers as a strategy to use financial resources to limit accountability. "I think at the end of the day, these companies have an inordinate amount of money and they will try and put it wherever they can in order to stave off any real accountability," Ibrahim said. During his time in the Senate, Tester was a vocal critic of the PATRIOT Act, which expanded Justice Department surveillance powers after the 9/11 attacks.

When asked if his concerns about government surveillance apply to his new employer, Tester said Palantir is different because it does not build large databases or trade in private data. "I wanted to do away with the Patriot Act because it was about privacy," Tester said. "It was about making sure that I am not being watched by anybody, including Big Brother. And by the way, I've talked to many people within Palantir. They believe the same way I do. This is an organization that believes in privacy."

Former Palantir employees criticized the company last year over a $30 million contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The contract was for a tool providing near real-time visibility into migrant movement. The employees argued the firm violated its code of conduct by working on products for the Trump administration. Palantir CEO Alex Karp, a self-described liberal, has publicly criticized Democrats on immigration and artificial intelligence. "I would say to my Democratic friends, also of which I still have, I hope many," Karp said in a 2025 interview with Axios. "You have to grow a spine because a lot of these people actually agree with me in private."

Tester described the midterm election results as a blue tidal wave that would change policy advocacy in the new Congress. He said he did not expect to see the same aggressive tactics used by ICE moving forward. Tester said he would focus on the government services side of Palantir's work as he begins his advisory role.