A Democrat running for a House seat in New York has ties to companies that sell technology used by the government for border surveillance and military projects. Cait Conley, who served as national security adviser under President Joe Biden, is one of several candidates vying for the 17th Congressional District seat. Her campaign financial disclosures show she earned over $80,000 from two defense contractors, Primer and Hidden Level, both partners with Palantir.
Conley's connections to these companies raise questions about how she might approach policy sectors in Congress. Albert Fox Cahn, a civil rights attorney, expressed concerns that Conley's ties to the tech industry could impact her approach to issues like surveillance and artificial intelligence.
The 17th Congressional District is a top priority for Democrats, who lost it to Republicans in the 2022 midterms. The seat is considered a swing district, with Conley walking a fine line on issues of immigration and national security. She has blasted Trump's deployment of the military to U.S. cities and criticized immigration agents for killing protesters.
Conley has received donations from outside the district, several from defense and tech companies. Her campaign has been criticized for not disclosing her job at Primer, despite earning over $80,000 in consulting fees. The candidate has claimed she will be a leader in Congress who includes working Americans in AI policy growth.
Conley's connections to these companies raise questions about how she might approach policy sectors in Congress. Albert Fox Cahn, a civil rights attorney, expressed concerns that Conley's ties to the tech industry could impact her approach to issues like surveillance and artificial intelligence.
The 17th Congressional District is a top priority for Democrats, who lost it to Republicans in the 2022 midterms. The seat is considered a swing district, with Conley walking a fine line on issues of immigration and national security. She has blasted Trump's deployment of the military to U.S. cities and criticized immigration agents for killing protesters.
Conley has received donations from outside the district, several from defense and tech companies. Her campaign has been criticized for not disclosing her job at Primer, despite earning over $80,000 in consulting fees. The candidate has claimed she will be a leader in Congress who includes working Americans in AI policy growth.
I dont no why cant politicians just be honest about their jobs? Cait Conley didnt disclose her income from defense contractors and its already causin concern... like whats the diff between her doing work for Primer or Palantir, and them being a huge part of what they r sayin in congress? 
AI policy is supposed to b about people's rights, not just profit...
. i mean, she's got ties to defense contractors and palantir which are all about government surveillance and military tech... its just not right that someone in a position of power has that kind of influence over policy 
. it feels like she's gonna have to choose between doing what's best for her constituents or doing what's good for her campaign donors 
She talks about being a leader for working Americans, but what if those defense companies have different interests in mind? It's like she's got her foot in both camps. We need to be careful who we trust with these powerful tech and security issues. 
.
. If she is elected and has those connections, could it influence her stance on issues like surveillance and AI? It's definitely a concern for civil rights groups like Albert Fox Cahn mentioned in the article 
.
. So, it's not all black and white here 
. The campaign finance disclosure issue is a problem though - if she was being transparent about her work at Primer, maybe this wouldn't be an issue 
. like, i get it, the government needs tech for border patrol and all that jazz... but do we really want someone who's essentially selling us our own security on a silver platter? 
. it's like she's trying to buy her way into congress with some sweet defense contract cash 
. and what about all the protests she's blasted Trump on? now that she's running for office, does she get a free pass to vote however she wants? 
. seems like she's trying to keep some skeletons in the closet from coming out of the woodwork 
. anyhoo, we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out... fingers crossed she doesn't become a tool for the same people she's fighting against 
also curious how the whole 'not disclosing her job at primer' thing plays out - seems shady 
, another politician with ties to big defense contracts 
Not cool, dude 
How will she balance her own stance on these issues with the interests of companies that stand to gain from them? 
) and people are worried she'll take a pro-surveillance stance if she gets into Congress 
And what's up with her campaign not disclosing her job at Primer? Like, shouldn't that be on the table? 
I get that she wants to be a leader who includes working Americans in AI policy growth, but you've got to wonder if those connections will sway her decisions 