Several Democrats who have been among the most vocal critics regarding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files accepted large campaign donations from billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, whose “very close” relationship with the convicted child predator appears to have lasted longer than he previously acknowledged.
Hoffman has donated tens of millions of dollars to Democrat causes.
His donations have focused on campaigns for politicians who have sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s administration over the Epstein documents.
Recipients of Hoffman’s donations include Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
New emails released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicate Hoffman remained in contact with Epstein years after he initially claimed their interactions had ended.
Khanna Took Donations While Demanding Investigations
Federal Election Commission records show Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has received $35,600 from Hoffman since 2011, including $7,000 in June 2025.
Khanna has been a prominent voice demanding accountability regarding Epstein.
“Anyone who visited the island needs to be investigated under oath,” Khanna said during a Feb. 10 interview with PBS News.
Khanna has not publicly addressed Hoffman’s visit to Epstein’s private island.
Some of Khanna’s statements about the Epstein case have also been challenged.
On the House floor, Khanna described six men as “wealthy, powerful men that the DOJ hid.”
However, four of the individuals he referenced had no connection to Epstein, according to reporting by The Guardian.
After the clarification, Khanna acknowledged the error.
“I appreciate @JSweetLI’s reporting confirming today that Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonid Leonov, and Nicola Caputo were just part of a photo line up and are not connected to Epstein’s crimes,” Khanna wrote on X.
“I wish DOJ had provided that explanation earlier instead of redacting then unredacting their names,” he added.
“They have failed to protect survivors, created confusion for innocent men, and have protected rich and powerful abusers.”
Jeffries and Schiff Also Received Hoffman Donations
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has also received substantial financial support connected to Hoffman.
The Jeffries Victory Fund PAC received $322,100 in 2025, while Jeffries’ congressional campaign has taken $13,600 from Hoffman since 2023, according to FEC filings.
An email from a consulting firm in 2013 invited Epstein to attend a fundraising dinner and meet Jeffries, describing him as “one of the rising stars in the New York Congressional delegation” and “a staunch supporter of President Obama.”
When questioned about the email, Jeffries denied any relationship with Epstein.
“I have no recollection of the email,” Jeffries told CNN.
“I’ve never had a conversation with [Epstein], never met him, know nothing about him other than the extreme things that he’s been convicted of doing.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has received $16,900 from Hoffman since 2023, according to FEC records.
Schiff has publicly called for investigations into Epstein-related connections and previously urged the resignation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over prior business ties to Epstein.
Schiff also accused the administration of attempting to conceal Epstein-related information.
Ossoff Also Took Donations While Criticizing ‘Epstein Class’
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has likewise received money connected to Hoffman.
FEC filings show Ossoff accepted $10,864 from Hoffman over the past five years, including $7,000 in December for his re-election campaign.
Ossoff has repeatedly criticized what he calls the “Epstein class.”
“This is a government of, by, and for the ultra-rich,” Ossoff said during a Feb. 9 rally. “It is the wealthiest cabinet ever. This is the ‘Epstein class’ ruling our country.”
He continued the criticism during an appearance on “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert.
“The whole Epstein saga has exposed the lie at the very core of Donald Trump’s political project,” Ossoff said.
Offices for Ossoff, Khanna, Jeffries, and Schiff did not respond to requests for comment regarding their campaign contributions from Hoffman.
Emails Reveal Ongoing Contact with Epstein
Hoffman has long maintained that his interactions with Epstein were limited.
He previously said he “never had any engagement with [Epstein] other than fundraising for MIT.”
However, emails released by the DOJ indicate their relationship was more extensive.
Records revealed that Hoffman exchanged more than 1,700 emails with Epstein.
The communications include hundreds of emails about gifts, visits to Epstein’s properties, and offers to assist with public relations as the child sex trafficking scandal intensified.
In the emails, Hoffman described Epstein as his “very close friend.”
Hoffman visited multiple Epstein properties, including Little St. James (“Pedophile Island”), the New Mexico ranch, and the Manhattan “House of Horrors” townhouse.
Travel records show Hoffman visited Epstein’s private “Pedophile Island” in November 2014 with then-MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito.
Emails also show Hoffman planned to spend time at Epstein’s Manhattan residence during the same trip.
On the Newcomer Podcast, Hoffman later acknowledged the visit.
“Note to self: Google before going,” Hoffman said, explaining he visited the island because Ito believed it could help encourage Epstein to donate to MIT.
Hoffman also described another moment that raised concerns for him.
His “first trigger” came when Epstein proposed a trip to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Bitcoin.
Despite declining that trip, emails show Hoffman continued communicating with Epstein afterward.
Additional Meetings and Gift Exchanges
Correspondence indicates Epstein discussed attending a dinner involving Hoffman and several prominent tech figures.
In an August 2015 email, Epstein wrote to businessman Tom Pritzker about a “wild” dinner attended by Hoffman along with Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel.
Vanity Fair later reported that Epstein attended a dinner hosted by Hoffman in Palo Alto honoring MIT neuroscientist Ed Boyden.
Emails also show Hoffman introduced Epstein to Zuckerberg following that dinner.
The two men exchanged gifts as well.
In one Dec. 24, 2014 email, Hoffman wrote that he had sent ice cream to Epstein’s New York address “for Epstein or else for the girls.”
The “ice cream” reference appeared to be a code word.
However, it is unclear what it refers to.
He also referenced another gift he was sending that “may strike your funny bone for the island.”
A metal sculpture later arrived that Epstein believed had been sent by Hoffman.
After Epstein thanked him for the sculpture, Hoffman wrote in a Jan. 8, 2015, email that he had been thinking about how he could help Epstein manage negative publicity.
“Been giving a bit of thought to how I can help with recent press fu,” Hoffman wrote, adding he was “mostly looking for help on the on-line front.”
The message came shortly after new court filings in lawsuits against Epstein triggered another wave of media coverage.
Hoffman Later Admitted Timeline Was Wrong
In 2019, Hoffman told Axios he regretted helping “repair [Epstein’s] reputation and perpetuate injustice” by attending events where Epstein was present.
At the time, he said his last interaction with Epstein occurred in 2015.
However, Hoffman later acknowledged that the statement was inaccurate.
On Feb. 3, Hoffman wrote on X that he had been “mistaken.”
His calendar records showed additional fundraising meetings in 2016 and 2018, he said.
“I have done multiple calendar searches, and if I find any other meetings, I will continue to share them,” Hoffman wrote.
“The victims of Epstein’s abhorrent and vile actions deserve all the information they are seeking.”
He also called on President Donald Trump to release additional records related to the case.
Calls for Investigation Continue
Hoffman currently serves on the board of directors for Microsoft.
The National Legal and Policy Center has repeatedly urged shareholders to seek his removal from the board because of his ties to Epstein.
President Trump also called for a broader investigation in a Truth Social post in November, directing the Department of Justice to investigate Hoffman along with former President Bill Clinton, economist Larry Summers, JPMorgan Chase, and other individuals and institutions connected to Epstein.
READ MORE – Another Epstein Associate Found Dead After Links Exposed
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