Palantir Co-Founder Backs Ads Attacking NY Candidate Over Past Palantir Work

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A political action committee funded by a Palantir co-founder is running ads attacking New York congressional candidate Alex Bores over his past work at the data analytics company, which has faced criticism for its contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The ads allege Bores profited from Palantir's work with ICE, despite Bores later leaving the company and now calling for the abolition of ICE. Current and former Palantir employees say the ads misrepresent Bores's record and are more about countering his support for AI regulation than his immigration stance.

Why it matters

The ad campaign highlights the political tensions within the tech industry, as some employees push back against the use of their companies' products by government agencies like ICE. It also shows how political opponents can leverage a candidate's past work experience against them, even if their views have since evolved.

The details

The ads, funded by the pro-AI political action committee Leading the Future, accuse Bores of hypocrisy for criticizing ICE while previously working at Palantir, which has faced backlash for its contracts with the agency. The ads claim Bores made hundreds of thousands of dollars 'building and selling technology for the agency.' However, Bores says he left Palantir seven years ago in response to the company's ICE work, which he says he never participated in. Current and former Palantir employees tell Fast Company the ads misrepresent Bores's record and are more about countering his support for AI regulation than his immigration stance.

• The ads have been running in New York's 12th Congressional District for the past few weeks.

What’s next

The outcome of the Democratic primary in New York's 12th Congressional District, where Bores is running, will determine whether the ad campaign has an impact on his political future.