Was that so difficult, Raja? (Updated)
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tina Sfondeles…
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.
He should’ve done this days ago.
* Meanwhile, Republican US Senate candidate Don Tracy sent this out before the Sun-Times story was published this morning…
Yesterday’s revelations about the Krishnamoorthi campaign aren’t isolated slip-ups. They show a deliberate pattern of deception that speaks to Raja Krishnamoorthi’s character. As the leading Democrat in the Senate race, he has built his brand on friendly ads promising integrity. But under closer scrutiny, Raja is revealing himself to be just another slick career politician, who will say whatever it takes and will take money from anyone to win.
Let’s start with the fake endorsement. For months, Raja’s team blasted fundraising emails that appeared to be written by Rep. Ted Lieu, complete with Lieu’s signature and photo, urging donors to “flip the Senate blue” with Raja. These were strategic blasts to over 88,000 supporters, claiming an influential nod from one of Congress’s highest-ranking Asian American leaders. Lieu knew nothing about it. No approval. No heads-up. Just the total fabrication of an endorsement that never existed to juice the cash flow.
Raja’s camp called it a “miscommunication.” Give us a break. It was a calculated choice to mislead donors and inflate his clout in a hotly contested primary. It’s cheating, plain and simple, something Illinois has seen far too much of in government. And it’s particularly galling coming from someone who lectures America on ethics on a near-daily basis.
Then there’s the campaign donations: Over $90,000 from Trump allies and megadonors, plus $120,000 more from corporate PACs aligned with President Trump, all while condemning Trump on TV and vowing to “stop” him.
Two-faced opportunists who say one thing in ads and do another behind closed doors are a problem in Illinois. But let’s be clear: this was a betrayal of trust and Illinoisans can no longer afford politics as usual.
Don Tracy, a proven leader and the Republican front runner in this race, stands for straight talk and real accountability: no fake endorsements, no double-talk, and no hypocritical handshakes. In November 2026, Illinoisans will have a choice: send Don Tracy to the Senate to work for working families or continue to vote for hypocrites and career politicians.
…Adding… From Allison Janowski at the Stratton campaign…
Despite Team Raja originally doubling down on their ICE money and saying they welcome support from “anyone,” we’re glad to see that they’ve course-corrected, and we look forward to their full and transparent accounting of where the money was sent. While they’re busy revisiting their donations, they should also revisit the tens of thousands of dollars they’ve collected from Trump advisors and MAGA colluders. Values that you only uphold when you’re held publicly accountable aren’t values — they’re talking points. Illinoisans see through it.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 11:43 am:
Still genuinely curious - what has Raja fought for as a Congressman - except donations?
- Iron Duke - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 11:46 am:
As long as you are ICE contractor during the Obama and Biden administrations you don’t have any problems.
If you continue that relationship under a Republican administration you are toxic and are by definition a MAGA extremist.
- Roadrager - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 11:47 am:
Giving the left another reason to be skeptical of you for your corporate/big tech ties, and giving the right an opportunity to lambast you on merit for being disingenuous, all for enough money to run a statewide leaflet mailing. Mighty fine political instincts at work there.
It’s probably all gone and forgotten by March, but Raja is definitely making this campaign more difficult on himself in the meantime. Maybe he can stand up in support of Dick Durbin’s 2025 judicial votes next.
- Google is Your Friend - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 11:54 am:
==- Iron Duke - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 11:46 am:==
NPR, Jan. 20, 2017, “Obama Leaves Office As ‘Deporter-In-Chief’”
https://www.npr.org/2017/01/20/510799842/obama-leaves-office-as-deporter-in-chief
Point is, if you think left-wing people or liberals complaining about ICE or immigration enforcement is new, you should read more and comment less.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 12:14 pm:
Was it that hard Raj? I bet it really was hard for him to give back a penny. He seems fixated on raising it and keeping it. Did other Democratic reps resent the fact that he was not sharing his contributions? Sometimes I think he is like Scrooge McDuck swimming in a room full of money
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 12:16 pm:
Krishnamoorthi was my Congressman before the most recent redistricting. I thought he did a good job and plan to vote for him.
I couldn’t care less where a small fraction of his donations come from.
- Raja fan - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 12:26 pm:
I’m in his district and his office is fantastic. Very helpful when I personally needed help. Also has been good at online town halls. It’s hard for me to go in person and he has virtual events.
He has my vote too.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 12:31 pm:
===I’m in his district and his office===
And that has to do… what with this post?
- Really? - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 12:55 pm:
=He should’ve done this days ago.=
Meh. Super inside baseball. The only thing John Q. Voter knows about this race is that Raja has been on TV for months and the Lt. Governor is to date invisible.
There seems to be a “Raja has done nothing” theme with some here. Hence, the he has excellent constituent service witness from actual constituents is most relevant.
Constituent service is wildly important and consistently underrated. Most electeds are poor in this area. The Freedom Caucus types are the worst as they openly do not care and wear it on their sleeves like a badge on honor.
- I-55 Fanatic - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 1:14 pm:
In a Dem primary season where anti-Trumpness is a top concern among the Dem base, stories like this one are exactly what the Stratton team is looking for. This is just a scratch on Raja’s armor for now, but he better hope this is the last of it
- Steve - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 1:18 pm:
Raja is facing a speed bump. That’s it. This is Illinois: the land of hopes and dreams. Don’t bet against Raja. The voting public is very, very tolerant of a lot things in Illinois.
- Lakeview Larry - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 1:24 pm:
I mean, I’m just surprised this hasn’t come out sooner. I’ll get my popcorn ready. Buckle up!
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 1:49 pm:
Did yesterday’s story and comments in CapFax influence Raja getting rid of that donation? I’d like to think so.
And Tracy’s statement is a hoot. If you think Republicans in Washington are standing up for “working families,” I’ve got a Navy Pier I’d like to sell you.
We can hope Raja learned a lesson from this. Time will tell.
- pragmatist - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 2:06 pm:
Raja is one of the best fundraisers in politics. But he isn’t a team player, and he comes across as someone with naked ambition. So naturally, there are a lot of people waiting for a moment to take him down a peg. That being said, taking money from a Palantir executive is dumb. Waiting to give the money away and dragging out the story is dumber.
- Swansea Steve - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 2:14 pm:
None of this is surprising at all….Raja sold out to Silicon Valley and Big Business a long time ago.
The problem is there is no true progressive in the race to credibly call him out. Not sure the candidate who misled (mislead is a nice word) voters about not taking corporate PAC money, all while using their billionaire friend and his donors to fund their campaign, is the most credible voice in this conversation either….
- Been There - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 2:47 pm:
Raja must be related to the car dealer dad in the movie Breaking Away. Refund? Refund?
- SAP - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 3:11 pm:
Good move.
- ok steve - Wednesday, Dec 10, 25 @ 3:20 pm:
Swansea Steve, respectfully….are you trying to equate corporate PACs to the very popular and well-liked dem governor? JB endorsed Juliana because she’s running on their incredibly popular agenda. Absolutely no reason why she shouldn’t fully embrace that support. Entirely different than Raja raking in millions from corporations