LinkedIn co-founder and prominent Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman has contributed the maximum legal amount of $7,000 to Montana independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar. Federal Election Commission records highlight the donation, which adds the former university president to a growing roster of congressional candidates receiving financial backing from the billionaire ahead of the midterm elections.
Hoffman has faced renewed public scrutiny regarding his past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the release of Justice Department files detailing travel arrangements and visits to Epstein’s private island, New Mexico ranch, and Manhattan townhouse. The records included a 2014 email in which Hoffman referenced sending ice cream “for the girls.” Hoffman has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s island and planning an overnight stay at his Manhattan townhouse, characterizing his interactions as fundraising efforts for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While Hoffman has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, he has expressed regret over his association, stating it delayed justice for survivors.
The financial contribution to Bodnar’s campaign intersects with controversy surrounding Bodnar’s tenure as president of the University of Montana. In 2021, 18 female university employees filed a federal sex discrimination lawsuit alleging a workplace culture that favored men regarding compensation, career advancement, and physical appearance. Legal counsel for the plaintiffs asserted that Bodnar favored younger, physically fit women while publicly critiquing older employees, creating what the complaint described as a brick wall for career progression rather than a traditional glass ceiling. The university settled the lawsuit in 2024 for $350,000 while denying liability, and the case did not proceed to trial.
Montana Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Alani Bankhead criticized Bodnar during a June appearance on campus, urging him to withdraw from the race over the litigation. Bankhead argued that Bodnar’s record demonstrated a pattern of dismissing female employees and allowing discriminatory workplace practices to persist. Hoffman’s donor network has similarly directed funds toward other high-profile Democratic campaigns across the country, including substantial donations to Senator Jon Ossoff’s reelection bid in Georgia, Texas Senate nominee James Talarico, Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and groups supporting Pennsylvania congressional candidate Janelle Stelson.
Bodnar’s campaign has also drawn attention for its fundraising mechanisms and political alignments. Despite running as an independent, financial disclosures revealed that Bodnar raised $1.76 million through ActBlue by August, accounting for roughly half of his total campaign funds. Critics, including Republican candidate Kurt Alme, have pointed to his past voter registration in Connecticut, Democratic donations, and campaign staffing as evidence that he is a Democrat in disguise. Meanwhile, establishment figures had previously pressured Bankhead to exit the race to clear a path for Bodnar, though both candidates remained on the ballot alongside Republican Kurt Alme.
During an October joint press conference with fellow independent Senate candidates Dan Osborn of Nebraska and Brian Bengs of South Dakota, Bodnar pledged to operate as an independent who caucuses with neither major party. His campaign has secured endorsements from former Montana Democratic Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus, as well as former Republican Governor Marc Racicot and former state party chair Susan Geise.
Polling data released by Quantus Insights from an October 15-18 survey of 686 likely Montana voters places Republican Kurt Alme in the lead with 43.8 percent support, followed by Bodnar at 28.2 percent and Bankhead at 20.6 percent. Libertarian candidate Kyle Austin registered 1.7 percent, with 5.2 percent of voters remaining undecided.
