U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has donated $29,300 — the entirety of campaign contributions from Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar — to immigrant rights groups, his Senate campaign said on Wednesday.
Krishnamoorthi’s decision came after the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday reported that the congressman, who has raised $24 million for his Senate bid, has accepted more than $90,000 in contributions from key Trump and MAGA contributors including Sankar. Palantir has a $30 million contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide tools to track self-deportation. The company has been an ICE contractor since 2011.
A campaign spokesperson confirmed that Krishnamoorthi donated $29,300 to “immigrant rights groups,” although the campaign did not disclose which groups. Sankar had contributed that amount to Krishnamoorthi since 2015, including $3,500 to his Senate campaign committee in June.
The campaign on Wednesday defended Krishnamoorthi’s record on the Trump administration, calling it “crystal clear.”
“Raja is fighting tirelessly to hold Donald Trump, ICE and DHS accountable — pushing to unmask agents, demanding oversight into their brazen operations, and shining a light on the havoc they have [wreaked] on his constituents and communities across Illinois,” Krishnamoorthi’s campaign spokesperson said. “A proud immigrant and a proven fighter, Raja will bring this same fight to the U.S. Senate.”
One of Krishnamoorthi’s Senate Democratic primary rivals, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, piggybacked on criticism over the contributions. Her campaign compiled a letter signed by more than 50 Democrats that asked for the congressman to return Sankar’s money. Signers included State Sens. Cristina Castro and Adriane Johnson, State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), and Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps.
Speaking on CNN, the congressman on Tuesday called ICE operations “disconcerting” but said, “Nobody’s more anti-MAGA than me.”
He also signaled that he might revisit the contributions from Sankar.
“This story is being written because that donation appears to go counter — you don’t support this particular kind of service, and yet you’re accepting some financial support from Palantir’s CTO,” CNN’s Brianna Keilar told Krishnamoorthi. “Does that give you pause about that donation? Is that something you might revisit?”
Krishnamoorthi replied, “Yes.”
Sankar, who is also a Trump adviser, has given at least $260,000 to Republican political causes, including $250,000 to the Republican National Committee. Federal Election Commission records show that, although Sankar largely gives to Republican candidates, he previously contributed to other Democrats, including Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California.
Krishnamoorthi, who has been running TV ads since July, a detailed “Trump accountability plan” for his Senate campaign in August. It included a push to restrict ICE agents from wearing masks, block “radical” judges nominated by President Donald Trump, and introduce constitutional amendments to block self-pardons and a potential presidential third term.