Federal Election Commission filings released last week reveal that House Majority PAC (HMP), a key Democratic fundraising group, has spent $36 million on advertisements tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s legal files during the 2026 midterm election cycle. The spending, tracked by AdImpact and cited by Politico, includes targeted attacks on Republican candidates in multiple battleground states.
Reid Hoffman, billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, contributed to HMP amid ad surge. FEC records show Hoffman, who has faced scrutiny over past ties to Epstein, donated to HMP as the group ramped up spending on Epstein-focused ads just two weeks before Election Day. The filings do not specify which donor funds were allocated to individual advertisements.
HMP’s ad campaign highlights GOP votes on Epstein transparency legislation. One ad targeted Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, for voting against a procedural motion to advance the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which later passed with near-unanimous support. The legislation, signed into law in November 2025, requires the Justice Department to release records related to Epstein while protecting victims’ identities.
Breakdown of HMP’s Epstein-related ad spending:
- $543,300 in Alaska’s congressional race
- $480,000 in Iowa’s Second Congressional District
- $2.06 million in Pennsylvania’s 1st District
- $550,150 in Arizona’s 2nd District
Senate Majority PAC, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., separately reported spending over $20 million on Epstein-related ads in Senate races across Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Georgia, and Alaska.
Legislative context and political response
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, enacted in November 2025, mandates the release of Justice Department records on Epstein’s activities while shielding victims’ identities. The law followed years of public and congressional pressure for greater transparency regarding Epstein’s network and alleged enablers.
Critics of the Democratic ad strategy argue the focus on Epstein is a political tactic to sway voters ahead of the midterms. Supporters contend the ads highlight legitimate concerns about accountability for figures connected to Epstein’s crimes. The FEC filings do not provide a breakdown of which specific ads were funded by Hoffman’s donation.
Ongoing debate over transparency and political messaging
The Epstein-related spending reflects a broader trend in the 2026 elections, where candidates have traded accusations over connections to Epstein. While some ads emphasize legislative efforts to expose Epstein’s associates, others frame the issue as a broader failure of institutional accountability. The total $36 million spent by HMP represents a significant portion of Democratic ad buys in competitive races, underscoring the issue’s prominence in campaign messaging.