California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is defending his campaign’s controversial use of paid social media influencers after state election regulators opened an investigation into whether online creators failed to properly disclose sponsored political content.
The billionaire former hedge fund manager’s campaign has spent months quietly recruiting TikTok and Instagram personalities to post favorable videos about his candidacy as he battles a crowded Democratic field to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The effort is now under scrutiny from California’s Fair Political Practices Commission after complaints alleged some influencers promoted Steyer without clearly disclosing to followers they had been paid by the billionaire candidate’s campaign.
Kevin Liao, a spokesperson for the Steyer campaign, pushed back against the allegations in a statement to The California Post.
“Consistent with state law, payments for creator content are disclosed in campaign finance reports, and we notify creators we directly work with of their disclosure requirements. As a result, we are confident the complaint is baseless,” he said.
