U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is drawing scrutiny over the billionaire donors who supported her 2020 presidential bid — including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, whose past associations with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have resurfaced following recent Department of Justice document releases.
Klobuchar, a Democrat, launched a campaign for Minnesota governor Jan. 29. The announcement came weeks after Gov. Tim Walz said he would not seek reelection.
In her gubernatorial campaign announcement, Klobuchar highlighted the “Minnesota values of hard work, freedom, and simple decency and goodwill.”
Past presidential fundraising network draws attention
Now, as the governor’s race develops, Klobuchar’s past national fundraising network — which included several wealthy out-of-state donors — is drawing attention once again.
During Klobuchar’s 2020 presidential campaign, she received contributions from 21 billionaires or their spouses, according to a Forbes report.
Among the donors cited in the Forbes analysis was Hoffman, who donated $2,800 to Klobuchar and has been the focus of attention following the release of additional Department of Justice documents related to Epstein.
Hoffman–Epstein connections detailed in reports
A report by the Daily Caller said the records describe a more extensive relationship between Hoffman and Epstein than previously acknowledged. The documents reference a 2014 visit made by Hoffman to Epstein’s infamous private island, meetings tied to the MIT Media Lab, and gifts exchanged between the two men.
According to the Daily Caller, Hoffman also planned to spend a night at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment and wrote in a December 2014 email that he was sending two gifts to Epstein: ice cream that Epstein “should try — else for the girls,” and “something that may strike your funny bone for the island.”
The New York Times reported that Epstein thanked Hoffman for “his friendship” in one email, while Hoffman offered to help “with recent press fu” in another. It’s unclear what Hoffman, who has not been accused by authorities of any wrongdoing, was referring to, the Times said. However, the email was sent shortly after “Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Mr. Epstein in court filings of trafficking her while she was underage,” the Times reported.
The National Legal and Policy Center has repeatedly called on Microsoft Corporation to vote against reelecting Hoffman to its board, citing in part his past associations with Epstein.
“Mr. Hoffman maintained associations around the MIT Media Lab and Jeffrey Epstein well after Epstein’s criminal status was common knowledge, including travel and fundraising interactions, and emails acknowledging Epstein’s ‘perverse’ reputation while continuing engagement,” the group wrote in a November memo.
Hoffman wrote in a February post on X that he was “mistaken” about when his contact with Epstein ended, acknowledging additional meetings connected to fundraising efforts for the MIT Media Lab in 2016 and 2018.
“I only knew Jeffrey Epstein because of a fundraising relationship with MIT, which I very much regret,” he said.
I only knew Jeffrey Epstein because of a fundraising relationship with MIT, which I very much regret. In 2019 I told Axios the last meeting I had with him was in 2015 but I was mistaken, as according to calendar entries I have become aware there were additional fundraising…
— Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) February 4, 2026
Alex Plechash, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, said Klobuchar should explain why she accepted a donation from Hoffman.
“The more Minnesotans learn about what Amy Klobuchar has been up to in Washington, the less they seem to like it,” he told Alpha News.
“Now that she’s running for governor, voters deserve to know why her presidential campaign accepted donations from billionaire Reid Hoffman, who has been linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Minnesotans expect higher standards from their leaders, and Amy Klobuchar should explain why she thought taking that money was acceptable.”
Alpha News contacted Klobuchar’s campaign and Senate office for comment but did not receive a response.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
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