Former Democratic Senator Jon Tester joins Palantir as advisor

The ex-Montana lawmaker takes a non-lobbying role as Democrats in Congress plan to investigate the data analytics firm Jon Tester spent his Senate career criticizing government surveillance. Now he’s advising one of the most scrutinized data companies in America. The former Democratic senator from Montana has joined Palantir Technologies as an advisor. The hire was announced on or around November 9, 2026, and its timing is hard to miss: Democrats now hold the majority in Congress after the 2026 midterms, and they plan to investigate Palantir’s surveillance practices. What Tester will actually do Tester’s position is a non-lobbying advisory role. He won’t be working the halls of Congress on Palantir’s behalf, at least not in any formal registered capacity. His focus is Palantir’s government services business. That is the part of the company drawing the most political heat. Palantir builds data analytics and artificial intelligence tools. Governments are among its biggest customers, which is where the controversy begins. The company faces allegations that it facilitated surveillance during the Trump administration using those tools. Those claims remain allegations, but they are the b...