Reid Hoffman gives $500,000 to super PAC backing Kentucky Democratic candidate Zach Dembo
LinkedIn co‑founder Reid Hoffman donated $500,000 to the independent super PAC Kentuckians Not Corruption on Sept. 24, 2026, boosting television ads for Democratic congressional nominee Zach Dembo in Kentucky’s 6th District.
The contribution arrived as the race entered its final stretch, prompting the super PAC to increase weekly television purchases on Lexington’s WLEX‑TV from $14,650 before the donation to $109,990 for the week of Oct. 6. By mid‑October, Kentuckians Not Corruption had spent about $1.6 million on advertising in the contest, a figure that includes both pro‑Dembo spots and attacks on his Republican opponent.
Republican challenger former state Sen. Ralph Alvarado seized on the donation, describing it as “dirty Epstein‑class money” and accusing the billionaire of close ties to the convicted sex offender. He told Fox News Digital,
"This is really, it's dirty Epstein class money fueling Zach Dembo's campaign," Alvarado said. "It's offensive."
Alvarado added that Hoffman was “one of [Epstein’s] best friends,” citing island visits, a Manhattan townhouse stay, and an alleged Christmas‑Eve ice‑cream shipment to Epstein. He urged Dembo to disavow the contribution, claiming the Democrat’s anti‑dark‑money platform was hypocritical.
Dembo’s campaign has not responded to repeated requests for comment. The candidate, a former federal prosecutor and Navy veteran, has built his campaign around curbing the influence of wealthy donors, asserting that “big business and the ultra‑wealthy shouldn’t be able to buy influence in Washington.” His website calls for the elimination of “dark money” in politics.
The race is significant because the seat has been held by Republican Rep. Andy Barr since 2013, and Barr is now pursuing the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell. If Dembo were to win, it would represent a rare Democratic pickup in a district that includes Lexington, a growing urban center.
As the November election approaches, the super PAC’s spending surge and the lingering controversy over the Hoffman donation are expected to remain focal points in campaign ads and voter discussions, with both sides likely to amplify the narrative in the final weeks before voters head to the polls.
