Progressive politicians love a good sermon. They stand at podiums, wag their fingers at the wealthy, and swear — hand over heart — that they’ll never bend the knee to corporate cash. It’s a well-rehearsed performance. And it stays convincing right up until the campaign finance filings drop and the congregation discovers the preacher’s been passing the collection plate to himself.
Democrats have lately seized on a particularly potent piece of rhetoric: the phrase “Epstein class.” They hurl it at Republicans, at the Trump administration, at anyone they want to tar with the memory of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes. Bold strategy. But sometimes the loudest voice in the room is just trying to drown out his own guilt. And down in Texas, one Senate candidate just proved exactly that.
From Just the News:
Two Democratic Senate candidates have received backlash for accepting donations from a Democrat megadonor with former ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
James Talarico and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who is running for re-election, have both received donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire who has admitted to spending time on Epstein’s Caribbean island, Fox News reported. Hoffman donated $11.5 million to a Talarico-aligned super PAC called Lone Star Rising, according to The Texas Tribune. Hoffman donated $7,000 to Ossoff’s campaign, the maximum legal amount.
Eleven and a half million dollars. Not a stray check that slipped past some overwhelmed campaign intern. A massive, deliberate cash infusion from a man whose ties to Jeffrey Epstein are documented by the U.S. Department of Justice — routed directly into the political machinery of a candidate who made destroying the “Epstein class” his entire brand.
So who exactly is James Talarico? He’s an Austin-based state lawmaker and former middle-school teacher who rocketed to progressive stardom by casting his Texas Senate bid as a righteous crusade against corrupt billionaires. He swore off corporate PAC money. He campaigned — loudly, repeatedly — on abolishing super PACs altogether. He told supporters point-blank: “The Epstein Class has no place in Texas.” Inspiring stuff. Really. And completely hollow.
Follow the money
Reid Hoffman isn’t some anonymous donor. He co-founded LinkedIn. He’s a Silicon Valley titan worth billions. And his history with Epstein goes well beyond a handshake at a cocktail party.
Documents released by the Trump administration’s DOJ paint an ugly picture. A 2014 memo shows Hoffman spent the night at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse — the same residence where many of Epstein’s alleged crimes occurred. Other records indicate he planned weekend visits to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch and his private Caribbean island. This, by the way, was years after Epstein had already pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida. Nobody could claim ignorance.
Then there’s the detail that should make anyone’s stomach turn. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hoffman sent Epstein ice cream in 2014 with a note saying it was either for Epstein or “the girls.” Let that marinate for a second.
Hoffman has since told Axios he was “deeply regretful” for helping “repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice.” Fair enough. Regret is easy. But regret doesn’t claw back $11.5 million. And Talarico’s campaign? Stone silent about their benefactor’s Epstein connections.
A pattern, not a coincidence
Here’s the thing — Talarico isn’t an isolated case. He’s just the most brazen example. The DOJ investigation revealed that Hoffman has made over 1,650 contributions totaling more than $76 million to Democrats and Democrat-aligned causes. Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis described it as a “dark-money empire that channels anonymous donations through nonprofits and PACs to influence federal elections.”
Sens. Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse flat-out denied receiving Hoffman’s money when confronted. The DOJ proved them wrong. Ossoff deployed the same “Epstein class” attacks as Talarico while quietly pocketing Hoffman’s $7,000 maximum contribution. The hypocrisy is systemic.
The legal fig leaf
Talarico’s defense — such as it is — hides behind the technicality that federal candidates cannot legally coordinate with super PACs. Pause and appreciate the irony. This man campaigned on abolishing super PACs. Now one is his financial lifeline, and the legal wall between them is his only shield from accountability. You genuinely have to marvel at the nerve.
The donor roster behind Lone Star Rising tells its own story. Venture capitalists. Hedge fund managers. Tech oligarchs. Not exactly the working-class Texans Talarico claims to champion.
Texas voters can read a balance sheet. James Talarico drew a bright moral line when he declared the “Epstein class” unwelcome in his state. By his own standard — the one he chose, the one he campaigned on, the one he broadcast from every available microphone — he stands on the wrong side of it. The $11.5 million from Reid Hoffman didn’t just fund his campaign. It defined it.
Key Takeaways
- Talarico took $11.5 million from Epstein-linked billionaire Reid Hoffman while denouncing the “Epstein class.”
- DOJ documents confirm Hoffman stayed at Epstein’s properties and sent gifts referencing “the girls.”
- Hoffman’s $76 million “dark-money empire” funds Democrats nationwide, per the DOJ.
- Talarico campaigned on banning super PACs — then hid behind one to dodge accountability.
Sources: Just The News, Streamline
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