Talarico’s Senate Campaign Backed by $11.5 Million From Donor With Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Texas Democrat Senate nominee James Talarico has been quick to invoke Jeffrey Epstein when attacking Republicans, but he is apparently willing to accept help from a billionaire with close ties to the deceased financier.

Talarico’s Senate campaign is backed by a super PAC whose biggest donor, Reid Hoffman, has close ties to Epstein and even visited his private island. Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn and a Democrat megadonor, is bankrolling the super PAC “Lone Star Rising” that props up Talarico’s campaign to the tune of $11.5 million so far.

The Senate race between Talarico, a Democrat state representative, and Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is an especially brutal race this cycle as the candidates continue to trade vicious blows about each other’s past. Talarico has made political corruption a frequent theme of his campaign, using Epstein survivors as props and accusing Paxton of giving “Epstein-style sweetheart deals to pedophiles.”

The Daily Signal reached out to Talarico, Paxton, and Hoffman, but they did not respond in time for publication.

‘Paxton Has Nothing to Do With’ Alleged ‘Sweetheart’ Plea Deal, Attorney Says

Talarico often blames Paxton for a plea deal offered by state prosecutors to pedophile Adam Hoffman, after a 2025 trial ended in a hung jury and the victim was unwilling to testify again.

Hoffman’s attorney, Gerry Morris, told The Daily Signal that Paxton had “nothing directly” to do with the settlement.

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“I think it’s unlikely he was even aware of it until it came up on the press,” Morris wrote in an email. “My team dealt with the trial team for the Attorney General’s Office. I did not take part in the negotiations until the judge rejected the first agreement. The final agreement was reached in the courthouse after the judge rejected the second agreement. Ken Paxton has nothing to do with that.”

Morris emphasized he is “not a fan” of Paxton and does not support him for Senate, but he said Paxton is being “unfairly blamed for the Hoffman resolution.”

Talarico’s Connection to Reid Hoffman

Meanwhile, Talarico’s Senate bid is supported by a different, unrelated Hoffman—one with direct ties to Epstein. Billionaire Reid Hoffman began drawing scrutiny after the Epstein files were released, exposing his relationship with the financier.

While Hoffman insists his Epstein relationship was limited to fundraising, documents released by the Department of Justice suggest more personal ties.

After Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor, he was forced to register as a sex offender. Even after this conviction, Hoffman consistently engaged with Epstein. In 2014, he visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island and gave him a statue. That same year, Hoffman offered to help the pedophile resist bad publicity from allegations of sex trafficking.

Now, Hoffman is helping Talarico’s bid for Senate—with $11.5 million via the super PAC Lone Star Rising. The PAC had raised nearly $22 million as of July.

Ironically, Talarico’s platform is to “ban super PACs and corporate PACs.” While his Senate  campaign has said it “has no control over contributions to any super PAC,” Talarico has not disavowed the support from Epstein’s associate.