Billionaire Reid Hoffman, whose ties to Jeffrey Epstein have drawn considerable scrutiny, has poured $500,000 into a super PAC helping Democrats pursue a Republican-held congressional seat in Kentucky. The recipient is backing Zach Dembo, who has campaigned against wealthy donors buying political influence. Republican nominee Ralph Alvarado has challenged Dembo to disavow the financial support as outside advertising reaches voters ahead of November’s election.
The contest centers on Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Lexington and has been represented by Republican Andy Barr since 2013. Barr is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Mitch McConnell. Dembo, a former federal prosecutor and Navy veteran, faces Alvarado, a former Kentucky state senator, in the race to succeed Barr in the House.
Federal Election Commission records place Hoffman’s contribution to Kentuckians Not Corruption on September 24th, 2026. The independent super PAC has purchased advertisements promoting Dembo and opposing Alvarado. The money went to that outside organization rather than directly to Dembo’s campaign committee, and the federal records don’t establish that the Democratic nominee requested the donation or directed Hoffman to make it.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Alvarado condemned the contribution: “This is really, it’s dirty Epstein class money fueling Zach Dembo’s campaign.” He added, “It’s offensive.” Asked about disavowing the support, Alvarado said, “If he has any integrity, he should, but he won’t disavow it.” Fox reported that repeated inquiries to Dembo’s team about the contribution received no response.
Dembo’s campaign website argues that “big business and the ultra-wealthy shouldn’t be able to buy influence in Washington” and calls for changes to “get rid of dark money in politics.” He has also criticized tax breaks benefiting “billionaires and coastal elites” while pledging to represent working families. Alvarado accused his opponent of hypocrisy, saying, “The hypocrisy is so thick from Dembo in which he claims he won’t take it, but yet here he is.”
Advertising orders filed with the Federal Communications Commission show the PAC booked $14,650 on Lexington’s WLEX-TV for September 15th–21st. That rose to $26,450 for September 22nd–28th, the week Hoffman donated, and $35,820 for September 29th–October 5th. Orders then reached $109,990 for October 6th–12th, more than seven times the initial weekly amount. The purchases included placements during “NBC Nightly News,” “Today” and local evening newscasts.
Watch Alvarado discuss the donation here:
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The organization’s spending also covered advertising beyond that single Lexington station. According to Kentucky Public Radio’s reporting on federal filings, cited by Fox, Kentuckians Not Corruption had spent approximately $1.6 million on advertising in the race by mid-October. Those commercials included messages promoting Dembo’s candidacy and attacks on Alvarado’s record, with national political groups taking an interest in the Republican-held district.
Alvarado also raised Hoffman’s relationship with Epstein during the interview. “He was one of his best friends. I mean, Hoffman was a guest on Epstein’s private island. He was in his Manhattan town house. There’s all kinds of images of those two together,” Alvarado said. Citing documents released by the Justice Department, he continued, “Hoffman once sent Epstein a shipment of ice cream on Christmas Eve with a note that said that the treat was either for yourself or for the girls.”
Featured image credit: GES 2016, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons