LinkedIn co-founder and Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman, who has acknowledged visiting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, contributed the maximum legal amount of $7,000 to Montana independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar. Bodnar served as University of Montana president when 18 female employees filed a federal sex discrimination lawsuit alleging unequal treatment and a workplace culture that favored men.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show Epstein-linked megadonor Hoffman donated the maximum amount to Bodnar’s campaign, adding the former university president to a growing list of Senate candidates benefiting from financial support from the billionaire Democratic donor ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The contribution comes after a 2021 Title IX lawsuit filed by female University of Montana employees during Bodnar’s presidency. The complaint alleged a “good ol’ boys club” culture that favored men and discriminated against women in matters involving compensation, career advancement, and physical appearance.
Attorneys representing the women wrote that Bodnar “favored young, attractive and fit women, while older, less attractive women were publicly critiqued.”
The lawsuit further alleged that the university “did not create a glass ceiling for these women’s careers. UM created a brick wall.”
The University of Montana settled the lawsuit in 2024 for $350,000 while denying wrongdoing. The case did not proceed to trial, and the settlement did not establish the allegations as proven. Montana fact-checkers recently confirmed the core allegations that women were paid less, judged on their looks, had their jobs handed to men, and that the university settled to sweep it under the rug.
Montana Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Alani Bankhead criticized Bodnar over the lawsuit during a June appearance on the University of Montana campus, calling on him to withdraw from the race.
“We are in the Epstein era. Seth has established a pattern of dismissing and discriminating against women and allowing a culture of discrimination to at minimum continue or even worse magnify these issues,” Bankhead said.
“Anyone with this much sex discrimination baggage should read the room and drop out,” she added.
Hoffman has also contributed $7,000 to Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) reelection campaign and $1 million to an affiliated PAC, prompting Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) to confront Ossoff over the donations and Hoffman’s Epstein ties during an October 13 debate. In Texas, Hoffman has provided approximately $11.5 million to groups supporting Democrat Senate nominee James Talarico, who has declared that “the Epstein class has no place in Texas.” Hoffman also donated $250,000 to Iowa Democrat gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand and has contributed more than $1.8 million since 2021 to WelcomePAC, which has spent over $100,000 supporting Pennsylvania Democrat congressional candidate Janelle Stelson, who recently appeared at an event featuring an Epstein survivor.
Hoffman has faced renewed scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein following the release of Justice Department records detailing visits and travel arrangements involving the convicted sex offender’s private island, New Mexico ranch, and Manhattan townhouse. The records also included a 2014 email in which Hoffman referenced sending ice cream “for the girls.”
Hoffman, who has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s island and planning an overnight stay at his Manhattan townhouse, has described his interactions as related to fundraising for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “It gnaws at me that, by lending my association, I helped his reputation, and thus delayed justice for his survivors,” Hoffman told the Wall Street Journal, adding that he was “sorry for my personal misjudgment.” Hoffman has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Bodnar also attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding with his wife, Chelsea, who had befriended the former president’s daughter. Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was subsequently convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, also reportedly attended the wedding.
Bodnar’s campaign has additionally received support from Reed Galen, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. The organization faced controversy in 2021 following allegations that another co-founder, John Weaver, sent sexually provocative messages to young men and contacted a 14-year-old while using the prospect of career opportunities.
Breitbart News previously reported that Bodnar, despite running as an independent, had raised $1.76 million through ActBlue as of August, accounting for roughly half of the more than $3.2 million his campaign raised through June 30. Bodnar previously registered as a Democrat in Connecticut, donated to Democrats, attended a 2012 presidential debate with Michelle Obama, and staffed his campaign with Democrats. Republican Kurt Alme called on Bodnar to return the ActBlue contributions, telling Breitbart News, “Seth Bodnar wants to hide who he really is while his campaign runs on liberal ActBlue cash,” and describing him as a “far-left Democrat in Disguise.”
During an October 12 joint press conference with independent Senate candidates Dan Osborn of Nebraska and Brian Bengs of South Dakota, Bodnar pledged to serve as “a true independent, caucusing with neither party and answering only to the people of this great state.” Bodnar, whose campaign has received endorsements from former Democrat Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus, as well as former Republican Gov. Marc Racicot and former Montana Republican Party chair Susan Geise, said he would “work with Republicans when they’re right for Montana,” “work with Democrats when they’re right for Montana,” and have “the spine to stand up to either party when they’re doing something that’s wrong for Montana.”
Breitbart News reported in August that establishment Democrats reportedly pressured Montana Democratic Senate nominee Alani Bankhead and members of her family to encourage her to withdraw from the race and clear a path for Bodnar. Documents obtained by Matthew Foldi of the Washington Reporter urged Democrats “who have relevant relationships” to encourage Bankhead to withdraw, identified members of her family and personal circle, and reportedly included instructions for minimizing attention to the University of Montana sex discrimination lawsuit during Bodnar’s presidency. Neither Bankhead nor Bodnar withdrew before the August 10 deadline, leaving both candidates in the race against Republican Kurt Alme.
The latest Quantus Insights survey, conducted October 15-18 among 686 likely Montana voters, found Alme receiving 43.8 percent support, compared with Bodnar’s 28.2 percent and Bankhead’s 20.6 percent. Libertarian Kyle Austin received 1.7 percent, while 5.2 percent remained undecided.
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