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Former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to lead data firm Palantir’s defense business

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Former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to lead data firm Palantir’s defense business

WASHINGTON – The data analytics and security firm Palantir has hired former Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to lead its defense business, the company said Thursday.

Gallagher will be head of defense for the company, according to a spokeswoman for the Green Bay Republican. Gallagher, who was among the leading defense and foreign policy hawks in Congress, left his seat in northeastern Wisconsin in April. He had been the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

He had been linked to Palantir, the firm started by Peter Thiel, shortly after announcing his intentions to retire, but he joined the venture capital firm TitletownTech in May. He also joined the conservative think tank Hudson Institute.

A spokeswoman for Gallagher on Thursday said Gallagher would remain a distinguished fellow for Hudson but did not answer questions about his position at TitletownTech. Defense One first reported on Gallagher’s move.

The company in a statement said it was expanding its reach. Palantir CEO Alex Karp in a statement said Gallagher’s “unique talents have helped to shape U.S. policy towards our adversaries.”

Gallagher called Palantir a “leading tech company that is unapologetic in its defense of the West.” Palantir’s data services are used by the U.S., corporations and other governments, including in security and defense contexts.

In Congress, Gallagher took an aggressive approach to foreign policy and promoted a policy of deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe as he made preventing a conflict between China and Taiwan a top priority in recent years.

When he announced his retirement earlier this year, he told the Journal Sentinel his future work would be in-line with his national security goals and focus on defense policy.

“My mission is to prevent World War III. I’ve dedicated myself to restoring conventional deterrence in order to prevent a war with China, and so whatever I do next will be an extension of that mission.” he said at the time.

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