Tom Steyer's bid for California governor is under investigation by the state over a relatively new facet of campaigning: the role of influencers. State regulators have opened an inquiry into whether the billionaire Democrat's campaign broke a 2023 disclosure law by paying social media creators to praise him without clearly telling viewers they were on the payroll, reports the Washington Post. At least one influencer was paid $10,000 and another $2,000 for pro-Steyer content that lacked required disclaimers, according to state campaign finance records reviewed by the Post.
The complaint, filed by two California creators who back rival candidate Xavier Becerra, argues Steyer's team tried to manufacture what looked like organic support online. The Sacramento Bee first reported details of the strategy, which offered $10 per pro-Steyer video to start. The Bee obtained a strategy memo from the Steyer campaign it sent to influencers with guidance:
- "Many voters are critical of Tom Steyer because of his billionaire status, lack of experience and previous investments," it reads. "Rather than pretending that these things don't exist, acknowledge and relate to voters' concerns and explain why you still believe Steyer is the strongest candidate despite them."
Steyer spokesman Kevin Liao says the campaign discloses payments in finance reports, tells creators about their legal obligations, and is "confident" the complaint is meritless. The case highlights a regulatory gap: Federal rules require disclosure for paid product endorsements, but not for political content, leaving states like California to police the influencer-politics crossover on their own. Steyer is seen as a leading candidate in the June 2 primary, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
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