The Steyer campaign pays influencers. Their posts don't always make that clear

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WASHINGTON — In recent weeks, several social media influencers have popped up in online feeds touting the California gubernatorial campaign of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer.Some complain about the price of gasoline.Others mention environmental concerns.

One cites her newfound sobriety as evidence that people can change — a nod to Steyer’s self-proclaimed metamorphosis from hedge fund titan to scourge of big corporations.“I did not expect the most progressive governor candidate to be a billionaire, but look at the policies you guys,” said one content creator on TikTok with the user name Jaz R.“Hear me out.

I know Tom Steyer is a billionaire, but he also is for the people.”The posts include direct-to-the-camera appeals, with personal details interwoven into messages of support for Steyer.An influencer goes for a stroll as onscreen text touts Steyer’s policies.

Some seek to convey authenticity, if occasionally ham-fistedly; one influencer mispronounces Steyer’s last name.What they do not include is a disclosure that their creators were paid by the Steyer campaign to produce the videos, according to a complaint filed this week with California’s Fair Political Practices Commission and a Times review of the posts.The complaint alleges that the Steyer campaign failed to notify the influencers it hired of their obligation to inform their audience when their posts have been sponsored by the campaign.

California Candidates running to replace termed-out Gov.Gavin Newsom repeatedly attacked surging Democrat Xavier Becerra during a testy debate in a remarkably unsettled contest less than three weeks before the June 2 primary.California passed a law in 2023 requiring that influencers disclose if they have been paid to create promotional content for or against a candidate or ballot measure, one of the few jurisdictions in the country with such a requirement.

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