Incumbent Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, criticized for opposing conservative candidates and his role in the contentious 2022 Arizona elections, is reportedly receiving reelection funding from LinkedIn founder and Epstein associate Reid Hoffman.
With the Arizona primary election scheduled for July 30, Richer faces two Republican challengers, including Arizona State Representative Justin Heap, who is endorsed by several top conservatives such as Kari Lake.
Hoffman, a significant Democratic donor, has also funded anti-Trump Republicans like Nikki Haley and is a major supporter of Joe Biden.
Richer has been controversial since his 2020 campaign, where he accused his predecessor, Adrian Fontes, of criminal activity and not adhering to election laws. However, he later opposed an audit of the 2020 Presidential Election and other election integrity measures.
According to The Gateway Pundit, Richer was criticized by former colleague Steve Chucri for not trusting Dominion voting systems enough for future elections. Recently, Richer has tried to appeal to moderate Republicans and Democrats. Notably, he has declared his intention to vote for Joe Biden in the 2024 election.
Richer supervised early voting in the disputed 2022 gubernatorial election involving Kari Lake. He also established the Pro-Democracy Republicans PAC to oppose MAGA-aligned candidates and admitted to voting for Democrats in the last election cycle. Additionally, he has taken legal action against Kari Lake for alleged free speech violations and collaborated with federal agencies and social media companies to censor conservatives and The Gateway Pundit’s reporting.
In a 2021 op-ed draft for the National Review, Richer controversially claimed that the First Amendment is a “threat to elections and Democracy” and disparaged his constituents. Although the op-ed was rejected, he delivered a similar speech to students of the Maricopa County Community College District.
Reid Hoffman, who also funded Katie Hobbs and former House Speaker Rusty Bowers, is one of Richer’s key financial backers. Hoffman, known for his substantial contributions to Democratic causes and anti-Trump efforts, has previously supported candidates with an “R” by their name, including Rusty Bowers and Katie Hobbs.
AZ Free News Reported:
Campaign mailers paid for by Women for Justice disclosed that venture capitalist and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman was one of the three top donors in their effort to support Richer, in addition to Sac Holdings and Robert Granieri.
Women for Justice is a leftist nonprofit advocacy group formerly known as Women for Bernie Sanders 2016.
Hoffman rose up over the last decade as one of the most influential Democratic donors against former President Donald Trump. Since 2015, Hoffman has contributed nearly $64.7 million to left-wing causes per FEC records. This election cycle alone he has contributed over $28 million, though FEC records don’t reflect any direct Arizona contributions.
This wouldn’t be the first time Hoffman has backed a candidate with an “R” by their name. In 2022, Hoffman contributed $2,000 to former House Speaker Rusty Bowers’ reelection bid.
Prior to that, in 2021 Hoffman contributed $5,300 to then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign.