A Democrat running for a key House seat in New York's 17th Congressional District has been accused of having ties to defense contractors that partner with the government to develop and implement artificial intelligence (AI) border surveillance systems. Cait Conley, a former national security adviser under President Joe Biden, is facing criticism from civil rights attorneys and others who say her work for these companies raises questions about how she would approach policy issues related to technology and surveillance in Congress.
Conley is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the Democratic primary and has received funding from several defense contractors that partner with Palantir, a company co-founded by far-right billionaire Peter Thiel's firm. Her campaign manager has said Conley believes AI can be both an opportunity and a risk to the middle class, but critics argue that her ties to these companies raise concerns about how she would approach issues related to national security and counter-terrorism.
Conley has been endorsed by several groups and individuals, including Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), but others have questioned her involvement with defense contractors and whether she is truly committed to holding them accountable. The Intercept reports that Conley's campaign financial disclosures show that she earned more than $80,000 from these companies between January 2024 and July 2025.
Critics of the candidates and parties involved in the debate around AI border surveillance and national security say they need to be held to a higher standard of accountability. They emphasize the importance of press freedom and transparency in defense policy decisions.
Conley is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the Democratic primary and has received funding from several defense contractors that partner with Palantir, a company co-founded by far-right billionaire Peter Thiel's firm. Her campaign manager has said Conley believes AI can be both an opportunity and a risk to the middle class, but critics argue that her ties to these companies raise concerns about how she would approach issues related to national security and counter-terrorism.
Conley has been endorsed by several groups and individuals, including Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), but others have questioned her involvement with defense contractors and whether she is truly committed to holding them accountable. The Intercept reports that Conley's campaign financial disclosures show that she earned more than $80,000 from these companies between January 2024 and July 2025.
Critics of the candidates and parties involved in the debate around AI border surveillance and national security say they need to be held to a higher standard of accountability. They emphasize the importance of press freedom and transparency in defense policy decisions.
she's got ties to defense contractors that make me super skeptical about her stance on tech & surveillance lol what if she's just gonna enable their profit 
meanwhile rep pat ryan is like the ultimate hypocrite endorsing her while profiting from the same system 
can't even trust anyone in politics rn the middle class deserves better than a candidate with $$$ in her pocket 
. It seems like Cait Conley is getting a lot of attention for her ties to defense contractors, but I think we need to slow down and look at both sides of the story 
. I mean, sure, it's one thing to work with companies that develop AI border surveillance systems, but it's another thing entirely to actually try to regulate them as a congressperson 
. I'm not saying Conley is guilty of anything, but I do think we need to have an open and honest conversation about how she plans to approach these issues in Congress 
. And let's be real, folks, if we want to keep our country safe, we need to be able to trust that our politicians are making informed decisions, not just relying on their own biases 
. Can't we all just take a deep breath and try to have a calm conversation about this? 
. I want sources, not just hearsay. Can we get a real answer from Conley about what she plans to do if she gets elected? 
Cait Conley seems like a solid candidate on paper, but her ties to defense contractors are major red flags for me 
. I'm not saying she's automatically bad, but how can we trust her when her own company is profiting off the same surveillance systems that are supposed to be keeping our country safe? 
It just doesn't add up, you know? And what about all these money connections? $80k from defense contractors in a year? That's some shady business right there 
. I mean, what does she really know about protecting people when she's working for companies that want to exploit tech for their own gain? We need more transparency and accountability in government, especially when it comes to issues like AI border surveillance. It's like, we can't just trust politicians who have ties to the same companies they're supposed to be regulating 
it's crazy how these candidates can just take money from defense contractors without anyone questioning it. we need to keep pushing for press freedom and making sure our reps are held to a higher standard 
. And $80,000 from them in just over a year is a lot of money 
.