LinkedIn co-founder pours money into Ohio races – WKYC

The contributions from Reid Hoffman make him the second most prolific individual donor in state politics this year. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. The co-founder of LinkedIn, a Silicon Valley-based professional networking website, poured more than $82,000 into Ohio’s statewide and legislative races this year, campaign finance records show. The contributions from Reid Hoffman — a venture capitalist who was also an early executive of PayPal — make him the second most prolific individual donor in state politics this year, according to an analysis of state campaign finance records. He trails only Virginia Ragan, an heir to hundreds of millions in shares of a Delaware County shipping and manufacturing company who has given millions over the years to Ohio Republicans. Since 2016, Hoffman has pumped at least $200,000 directly into Ohio politics, mostly backing Democrats. This doesn’t include his $500,000 to a PAC that spent at least $150,000 in a Cleveland-area Democratic congressional primary. However, in February he gave $13,700 — the legal maximum — apiece to Gov. Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, both of whom are Republicans. Hoffman gave the same amount to four Democrats running…
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