A $250,000 campaign donation to Rob Sund, Iowa’s State Auditor and a Democratic candidate for governor, was made by Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn. Hoffman’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein, including visits to Epstein’s private island and other properties, have been highlighted in emails released by the Justice Department.
The Iowa Republican Party pointed out this contribution in a February announcement, emphasizing Hoffman’s known interactions with Epstein. Hoffman, a significant investor in the Democratic Party and founder of LinkedIn, has his past scrutinized due to these ties. The documents from the Justice Department reveal details about planned visits to Epstein’s properties, including a 2014 itinerary mentioning travel arrangements to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s private getaway.
Additional emails show Epstein referencing Hoffman, including a note about Hoffman’s passport being in a gift bag he received. In another communication, Epstein brings up Hoffman in a casual chat with Elon Musk regarding vacation plans. Notably, neither Hoffman nor any individuals mentioned in these documents have faced charges related to Epstein.
Despite a history of personal difficulties, Hoffman defended his visits to Epstein’s places, citing fundraising efforts for MIT. He expressed regret for contributing to Epstein’s image, stating, “I am angry that I helped his reputation by funding the association…I am sorry for my personal error in judgment.”
In addition, Hoffman is known to have funded E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump through a nonprofit. This funding has drawn attention, especially given accusations against the Good Information Foundation, a group involved in progressive causes, of violating federal tax laws by paying social media influencers for anti-Trump content. In 2024, Hoffman’s political adviser even suggested a conspiracy theory regarding an assassination attempt on Trump, labeling it as “classic Putin play.”
Iowa Republicans are calling attention to Sund, questioning whether he will return the money from Hoffman. Jade Sissy, a spokesperson for the Iowa Republican Party, stated, “Will he give the money back, or who is he really answering to? Iowans deserve to know.”
This donation follows another significant contribution of $50,000 from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a billionaire Democrat viewed by Iowa Republicans as one of the most liberal governors. Pritzker has implemented various policies including taxpayer-funded gender reassignment for minors and expansive sanctuary protections for undocumented immigrants.
During a recent appearance on Iowa Press, Rob Sund proposed a two-tier property tax system, suggesting that properties owned by non-residents should be taxed differently than those owned by Iowans. Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufman criticized this idea as “clearly unconstitutional,” pointing out that it violates the requirement for uniform enforcement of laws in both Iowa and federal constitutions. Kaufman challenged Sund’s proposal, questioning whether he is misleading the public or simply lacks understanding of the laws he aims to uphold. “Which is worse?” Kaufman asked rhetorically.
