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Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce Fact Briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Yes.

Campaign finance records show Reid Hoffman is the largest donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Hoffman, a venture capitalist and LinkedIn co-founder, has donated $15.4 million to the state party, according to campaign finance records.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission confirmed in an email that online records reach back to 2008, though Hoffman only began donating to the state party in 2019. Wisconsin passed legislation in 2015 that allowed unlimited contributions to state parties.

State online campaign finance records show Hoffman’s name twice; he has profiles under different addresses.

Hoffman’s combined donations place him far above the second-highest donor, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whose donations total about $5.9 million.

Hoffman’s name appeared hundreds of times in the latest release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffman apologized in 2019 for his role in rehabbing Epstein’s image.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Sunshine: Wisconsin Campaign Finance: Payer: Reid Hoffman
Sunshine: Wisconsin Campaign Finance: Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Legislature: 2015 Act 117
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Big donors to Wisconsin political campaigns appear in Epstein files

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Is Reid Hoffman the largest donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin?

by Hope Karnopp / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Watch
March 6, 2026

<h1>Is Reid Hoffman the largest donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin? </h1>
<p class="byline">by Hope Karnopp / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Watch <br />March 6, 2026</p>

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<p><em><em><a href="https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/">Wisconsin Watch</a></em> partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://gigafact.org/">Gigafact</a>&nbsp;to produce Fact Briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. <a href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/05/how-wisconsin-watch-checks-claims-for-its-gigafact-fact-briefs/">Read our methodology</a> to learn how we check claims.</em></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Yes.</h2>
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<p>Campaign finance records show Reid Hoffman is the largest donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.</p>
<p>Hoffman, a venture capitalist and LinkedIn co-founder, <a href="https://campaignfinance.wi.gov/browse-data/transactions?searchTerm=Reid+Hoffman&amp;searchField=payer">has donated</a> $15.4 million to the state party, according to <a href="https://campaignfinance.wi.gov/browse-data/registrant/15921">campaign finance records</a>.</p>
<p>The Wisconsin Ethics Commission confirmed in an email that online records reach back to 2008, though Hoffman only began donating to the state party in 2019. Wisconsin <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/acts/117">passed legislation in 2015</a> that allowed unlimited contributions to state parties.</p>
<p>State online campaign finance records show Hoffman’s name twice; he has profiles under different addresses.</p>
<p>Hoffman’s combined donations place him far above the second-highest donor, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whose donations total about $5.9 million.</p>
<p>Hoffman’s name <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/06/big-donors-to-wisconsin-political-campaigns-appear-in-epstein-files/88544334007/">appeared hundreds of times</a> in the latest release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffman apologized in 2019 for his role in rehabbing Epstein’s image.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sources</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://gigafact.org/fact-brief-quiz/wisconsinwatch"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1-782x440.jpg" alt="Think you know the facts? Put your knowledge to the test. Take the Fact Brief quiz" class="wp-image-1300309" /></a></figure></p>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/03/wisconsin-democratic-party-reid-hoffman-largest-donor-campaign-finance/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://wisconsinwatch.org&quot;&gt;Wisconsin Watch&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-WCIJ_IconOnly_FullColor_RGB-1.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;amp;quality=100&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
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Is Reid Hoffman the largest donor to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin?

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Yes.

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Hope Karnopp / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel