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Arizona state Rep. Jake Hoffman (R) is entangled in a weird, far-right web. And he’s making it pay.
Hoffman was relatively unknown outside Arizona until news broke in 2020 that he was running a troll farm for Turning Point Action, an affiliate of right wing youth indoctrination group Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Hoffman’s trolls—many of them teens—churned out content casting doubt on the pandemic, disparaging then-candidate Joe Biden, and supporting former President Donald Trump.
Hoffman later “served” as one of the fake electors who signed bogus declarations “certifying” Arizona for Trump.
He was just getting warmed up.
Last month, the Verge reported that a mysterious political action committee (PAC) associated with Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake’s campaign paid one of Hoffman’s firms $2.2 million.
Federal Election Commission records show he’s raking in cash from the Arizona Republican Party. The Arizona Secretary of State reports that Turning Point PAC—an offshoot of the TPUSA affiliate that enlisted him to wrangle trolls in 2020—has paid one of his businesses $45,000 so far this election cycle.
According to his financial disclosure form, Hoffman also has business interests in AlignPay, AlignAct, and Align for Freedom—which share a mailing address that matches that of a UPS store in Gilbert, Arizona.
AlignPay is the name of Dan Bongino’s “anti-cancel culture” payment processing company. Delaware Division of Corporations records show that AlignPay, AlignAct, and Align for Freedom have the same registered agent.
With all this going on, it’s easy to forget that Hoffman is also in the Arizona legislature.
There he’s set himself apart as the most conservative representative with moves like seeking a “full ban” on abortions and proposing a litany of legislation to reform Arizona elections—pretty alarming considering he was a fake elector for Trump and is a fan of Dinesh D’Souza’s discredited election fraud “documentary.”
Hoffman’s online presence is comparatively scant. He’s not welcome on Twitter or Facebook anymore—although he reportedly did briefly have a ban evading Twitter account that shared content by QAnon influencers. But you can find Hoffman on Telegram, LinkedIn, Truth Social, and Parler.
Why it matters
Hoffman is an ambitious man rapidly amassing influence and riches in a state whose Republican primary has been described as the most “far-right” in America.
“Hoffman usually has his hands tied to something extremely hateful or corrupt in Arizona, including sponsoring anti-LGBTQ bills, calling for books to be banned, attacking public education, and running the shady teen troll farm,” AZ Right Wing Watch told the Daily Dot on Tuesday.
“We have a lot of local Republicans who are linked to TPUSA/Turning Point Action, but Hoffman is one of the most corrupt. And that’s saying something.”