Reid Hoffman (Credit: TheFamousPeople)
Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman appears to have quietly left a premier Pentagon advisory board after the election of Donald Trump, raising questions about whether he quit the organization on his own or was forced off because of his work to keep Trump out of the White House.
Hoffman joined the Defense Innovation Board, chaired by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, in October 2022. The group provides advice to the Pentagon on how to implement new technologies into the military and work more efficiently with private companies.
Hoffman, the cofounder of LinkedIn, was listed as a board member until at least Nov. 27, according to archived versions of its website, but is no longer listed there. If Hoffman was forced off the board, it would be the latest example of a federal agency cleaning house ahead of Trump’s second term. Trump has said he will not allow Democrats or Republicans afflicted with what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” to work in federal agencies. In December, the FBI quietly shut its Diversity and Inclusion office.
Hoffman’s position on the board caused outcry from Republicans over his ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his funding for controversial political projects to help Democrats. And in July, Hoffman came under fire after he said he hoped his political tactics would make Donald Trump an “actual martyr.” Days later, a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative legal group, called for Hoffman to “be dismissed” from the board because of what it called Hoffman’s “irresponsible and dangerous remarks” about Trump.
The Defense Innovation Board noted that request at its July 17 board meeting, according to board records. Bloomberg discussed the attempted assassination, though he did not speak about Hoffman’s remarks or acknowledge the National Legal and Policy Center complaint, according to a transcript of the meeting.
The Pentagon, the Innovation board, and members of the board did not respond to requests for comment about Hoffman’s departure.