MD-05 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES CALL ON BOAFO TO DENOUNCE ORACLE'S ICE TIES AND RETURN CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS
For Immediate Release • Friday, May 8, 2026
~ Rushern Baker, Wala Blegay, Quincy Bareebe, Harry Jarin demand accountability over Oracle’s role in ICE operations and corporate influence in the race ~
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD—Today, leading candidates in Maryland’s 5th congressional district race, Rushern Baker, Wala Blegay, Quincy Bareebe, Harry Jarin, called on fellow candidate Adrian Boafo—an Oracle lobbyist—to publicly denounce his employer’s involvement in supporting ICE operations and return campaign contributions tied to Oracle’s highest ranking leadership, including the CEO Mike Sicilia, executives, and lobbyists.
Boafo has built his campaign around anti-ICE legislation while collecting a paycheck from Oracle—a company whose technology supports ICE operations through federal contracts. At the same time, campaign finance records show he has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from Oracle’s CEO, senior executives, government affairs personnel, and lobbyists.
Additionally, Delegate Boafo failed to disclose years of Oracle bonus income on required financial disclosure filings—an omission now flagged by a government watchdog organization.
“How can voters trust Adrian Boafo to stand up to Trump’s ICE policies when he works for a company tied to ICE operations and his campaign is funded by its executives and lobbyists?” said Rushern Baker. “You cannot campaign against ICE on one hand while taking tens of thousands of dollars connected to a company supporting ICE operations on the other. If Adrian is serious about standing up to Trump and stopping ICE abuses, he should publicly denounce Oracle’s role and return the contributions tied to those interests.”
“I want to be crystal clear: I’m a proud Democrat, and today I stand with my Democratic colleagues in unity. We may not agree on every issue, but we are united in opposing the fear and trauma ICE has inflicted on immigrant communities across this country. That’s why I cannot understand how Mr. Boafo can continue working for a company tied to ICE operations while asking Democratic voters to trust him in Congress. At a moment when families are being torn apart and communities are living in fear, those ties raise serious questions about judgment and values," said Wala Blegay. "People across this country have watched horrifying images of children separated from their parents and aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that have traumatized entire communities. Maryland Democrats deserve to know where Adrian Boafo stands. Mr. Boafo should do the right thing: publicly denounce Oracle’s involvement with ICE and return every dollar connected to those interests. Voters deserve leadership that stands with vulnerable communities—not corporate interests profiting from their pain."
“Maryland deserves better. It’s no surprise that someone who works as a lobbyist for Big Tech would rather deflect and deny than acknowledge this inexcusable conflict of interest,” says Harry Jarin. “This is exactly the kind of business-as-usual politics that has destroyed trust in government.“
“I was willing to donate to my own campaign because I wanted the people of the fifth congressional district to know if they could trust me that I would go to Washington with nobody’s interest but their own. The conflicts of interest detailed in this reenforces my determination,”said Quincy Bareebe.
Oracle has also become increasingly involved in the rapid expansion of large-scale data center infrastructure nationwide—including projects tied to artificial intelligence and cloud computing growth that are driving concerns over energy demand, environmental impacts, water usage, and local community accountability.
Despite Adrian Boafo polling at just three percent, outside corporate and crypto-aligned interests are continuing to spend heavily to prop up his campaign. Protect Progress, a pro-crypto Super PAC, recently placed a $74,713 cable television buy supporting Boafo.
CONTACTS:
Madeleine Russak (Rushern Baker)
(626) 390-2158
Julia Saval (Wala Blegay)
(973) 525-5579
Paige Handley (Harry Jarin)
(708) 802-4432
Mark McLaurin (Quincy Bareebe)
(667) 289-1223
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