A billionaire who visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island and offered to help the convicted pedophile manage bad publicity is now bankrolling the Texas Democrat who’s made Epstein-style attacks a centerpiece of his Senate campaign, according to a report from The Daily Signal.
Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and Democrat megadonor, has poured $11.5 million into “Lone Star Rising,” a super PAC supporting state Rep. James Talarico’s bid against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. That’s more than half of the nearly $22 million the PAC had raised as of July.
The connection is especially striking given Talarico’s repeated accusations that Paxton gave “Epstein-style sweetheart deals to pedophiles.” The Democrat has made political corruption a frequent campaign theme, even using Epstein survivors as props at campaign events.
But Talarico has not disavowed support from Hoffman, whose relationship with Epstein continued even after the financier pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor and was forced to register as a sex offender.
Documents released by the Department of Justice reveal the extent of their connection. In 2014, Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island and gave him a statue. That same year, he offered to help the pedophile resist bad publicity stemming from sex trafficking allegations. While Hoffman insists his relationship with Epstein was limited to fundraising, the DOJ documents suggest more personal ties.
Talarico’s campaign has said it “has no control over contributions to any super PAC.” The candidate’s platform, ironically, includes a pledge to “ban super PACs and corporate PACs.”
The Texas Senate race has become one of the most brutal contests of the cycle, with both candidates trading vicious attacks about each other’s past.
Talarico has repeatedly blamed Paxton for a plea deal offered to pedophile Adam Hoffman, no relation to Reid Hoffman, after a 2025 trial ended in a hung jury. The victim was unwilling to testify again.
The race pits Talarico, who currently serves in the Texas state legislature, against Paxton, who has served as the state’s top law enforcement officer. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Lloyd Bentsen won reelection in 1988.
For Texas voters weighing their options, the question may come down to which candidate’s Epstein connections matter more: the Republican accused of a plea deal he apparently had nothing to do with, or the Democrat whose campaign is being bankrolled by millions from a man who visited the pedophile’s island and offered to help manage his reputation.
