The Revolving Door's Latest High-Tech Spin Cycle
When a Democratic House candidate, Cait Conley, is found to have worked for firms pushing AI border surveillance technology developed by Palantir, it might seem like a fresh scandal. But for those of us who've been watching this particular reel for a while, it’s less a scandal and more a predictable plot point in a very old movie. Apparently, the 'change' that gets promised on the campaign trail
often comes with a significant corporate co-sponsor. CASE A: The Progressive Face of Surveillance Tech Our aspiring New York representative, Cait Conley, is presented by her campaign as a Democrat with a background in national security, touting her experience at the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council under the Biden administration. The Intercept (2026) reveals her
subsequent work for Schmidt Futures and Crescent, organizations connected to Palantir, actively promoting AI for border 'security.' The narrative here is one of competent, modern governance leveraging cutting-edge technology for efficiency and safety. The language is often sterile: 'optimization,' 'data-driven solutions,' 'smart borders.' This is framed as a necessary evolution in national defense
and immigration management. CASE B: The Old Guard, Old Playbook Let's consider the classic instance of the 'revolving door'—say, the arms industry. Back in 2003, during the run-up to the Iraq War, retired generals and admirals, often on the payroll of defense contractors like Lockheed Martin or Boeing, were regularly paraded on cable news. Their 'expert' opinions invariably stressed the