In an exclusive article published on Wednesday, Fox News reported that Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is calling on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff to return a campaign donation he received from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire who admitted to having once visited the private island of Jeffrey Epstein.
Collins is demanding that Ossoff return $7,000 he received from the Jeffrey Epstein-linked billionaire or else drop his relentless attacks on Republicans as “representing the ‘Epstein class.’”
In a prior statement, Ossoff issued a statement saying, “We were told that MAGA was for working-class Americans. But this is a government of, by, and for the ultra-rich. …This is the Epstein class ruling our country. They are the elites they pretend to hate.”
Ossoff’s Ties and Hypocrisy
Ossoff’s actions come amid claims he has made on the campaign trail about protecting children and “exposing human trafficking.”
In a video on Fox News, Collins said, “We demand that Jon Ossoff refund that money to Reid Hoffman, and … condemn Reid Hoffman. …We’re demanding that Reid Hoffman, one of Epstein’s friends, stop funding his campaign. It’s that simple.”
“But yet you still take it, and then you turn around and you go out there like a hypocrite, and you talk about President Trump and the Epstein Files, when in fact you are tied to it.”
In addition to his $7,000 donation to the Ossoff campaign, Hoffman also has given $1 million to New Engagement PAC, a political action committee linked to Ossoff. Collins says the entire connection with Hoffman reeks of hypocrisy.
Josh McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, commented on Ossoff’s actions, telling the Daily Signal, “We shouldn’t expect anything less from Jon Ossoff. He attacks Republicans while taking the maximum legal donation from billionaire Reid Hoffman, who has acknowledged visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s island.”
Ossoff’s Out-of-State Donations
Another area for concern is Ossoff’s accusations against wealthy elites, as well as his criticism of other politicians who receive corporate money or “billionaire money.”
Many donations to Ossoff’s campaign come from out-of-state donors, including from wealthy Californians who have donated about $7.35 million. By comparison, the senator has received about $6.86 million from Georgia residents.
In addition to the donations he has received, Ossoff’s campaign has invested roughly half a million dollars in California and a quarter of a million dollars in New York, Newsweek reported.
Next Steps for Ossoff
According to McKoon, the connection with Hoffman is too problematic for Ossoff to ignore.
“Ossoff has a simple choice: return Hoffman’s money or explain why his own billionaire donor gets a pass from the ‘Epstein class’ he attacks. Georgians deserve consistency, not one set of rules for Republicans and another for him,” McKoon said, adding that the choice is “simple.”
Stewart Bragg, general consultant at JLK Political Strategies, says the politics of the matter really boils down to “whether Ossoff applies the same standard to his own donors that he applies to his political opponents.”
“Georgians want leaders focused on getting things done, not constantly trading political attacks and accusations,” Bragg told the Daily Signal.
“They’re dealing with the cost of living, health care, jobs and putting food on the table. …It’s time to stop the political sideshow and put the focus back where it belongs: on Georgia and the people who call it home.”
The Ossoff campaign did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
