Alvarado Challenges Dembo Over Hoffman Contribution
Republican congressional nominee Ralph Alvarado has called on his Democratic opponent, Zach Dembo, to disavow a $500,000 contribution from billionaire Reid Hoffman to an independent super PAC supporting Dembo’s bid for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District.
Alvarado described the financial support as "dirty Epstein class money," citing Hoffman's past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Republican nominee argued that Dembo should distance himself from the donation given his previous public stances on wealth in politics.
Federal Election Commission records show Hoffman made the $500,000 contribution on Sept. 24, 2026, to Kentuckians Not Corruption, an independent super PAC. Federal records do not establish that Dembo solicited or directed the donation, and the funds went directly to the super PAC rather than Dembo's campaign committee.
Despite the lack of direct evidence linking Dembo to the solicitation, Fox News Digital reached out to Dembo's team repeatedly regarding the contribution but did not receive a response.
The Specifics of Epstein’s Ties
Alvarado intensified his criticism by asserting that Hoffman was not merely an associate or casual acquaintance of Jeffrey Epstein, but rather one of Epstein's best friends. To substantiate this claim, Alvarado cited images showing the two together and stated that Hoffman was a guest on Epstein's private island and visited his Manhattan townhouse.
Alvarado also pointed to specific interactions between the two men, noting that Hoffman once sent Epstein a shipment of ice cream on Christmas Eve. According to Alvarado, the note accompanying the gift read that the treat was "either for yourself or for the girls." The Republican nominee cited documents released by the Justice Department as evidence for this detail.
Surge in Advertising Spending
The timing of Hoffman’s donation coincides with a significant increase in political advertising spending in the district. Records filed with the Federal Communications Commission show that Kentuckians Not Corruption’s weekly television advertising orders on Lexington's WLEX-TV increased more than sevenfold between mid-September and early October.
Before Hoffman’s contribution, the group had booked $14,650 in television advertising on WLEX-TV for the week of Sept. 15 to 21. Weekly orders climbed to $26,450 for the period of Sept. 22 to 28, which overlapped with the date Hoffman made his donation. The following week, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, spending rose to $35,820.
For the week of Oct. 6 to 12, the group’s advertising orders surged to $109,990. These purchases included spots during NBC Nightly News, Today, and local evening newscasts, according to the FCC records.
Dembo’s Stance on Wealth in Politics
Alvarado accused Dembo of hypocrisy regarding his criticism of wealthy political donors. On his website, Dembo argues that big business and the ultra-wealthy should not be able to buy influence in Washington and states that the country needs to get rid of dark money in politics.
The Democratic candidate for Kentucky's 6th District has also criticized tax breaks for billionaires and coastal elites, pledging to fight for working families rather than wealthy political interests. Alvarado argued that Dembo was benefiting from the very kind of outside financial support he has publicly condemned.
Broader Campaign Context
Federal filings indicate that Kentuckians Not Corruption had spent approximately $1.6 million on advertising in the race by mid-October. This spending included commercials promoting Dembo and attacking Alvarado's record.
Alvarado expressed frustration with the situation, stating, "If he has any integrity, he should, but he will not disavow it... I do not even think I will bother to ask. Again, the least they could do is apologize."