Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Steyer, CA, is under fire after campaign filings reveal thousands of dollars spent paying online influencers to spread Steyer's influence on TikTok, as reported by various outlets.
Several influencers, including Isaiah White and Jason Chu, were paid for 'online communications', sparking controversy around potential violations of ad disclosure provisions.
Democratic gubernatorial candidates Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra are at the center of a state investigation into paid influencer endorsements.
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) May 27, 2026
The payments involved are far from trivial, ranging up to $100,000 for a single influencer.
📝: @lihanlihan https://t.co/slQOTYXPwF
The FPPC investigation launched on May 16; however, it has not halted Steyer's efforts. Progressive influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina personally disclosed in a video that he is receiving a whopping $400,000 to promote Steyer's leftist policies, posing as a 'Latino voice' for the campaign. That number contradicted a report from the NY Times and other outlets, which reported Espina was paid $100,000 for his content.
Espina has posted dozens of videos outwardly campaigning for Steyer, disguising the content as an organic endorsement. He even appeared alongside Steyer at a campaign event at an LA College, despite being from Texas.
Thank you to everyone who came out to our block party at East Los Angeles College yesterday.
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) May 14, 2026
I always love talking directly with voters, particularly when I'm joined by Caroline Menjivar and Carlos Eduardo Espina! 19 days to go! pic.twitter.com/4IhXjvLXac
The comments do not exactly suggest overwhelming support for Steyer and his finance gimmicks.
THERE IT IS 🚨 Democrats are paying social media influencers $50,000 for enforcements
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 25, 2026
The TikTok account (foosgonewild) who has 1.1 million followers was paid $50 grand to make a video with Democrat Governor candidate Tom Steyer
I looked into and found there have been many more… pic.twitter.com/WApByOu1o3
THERE IT IS 🚨 Democrats are paying social media influencers $50,000 for enforcements
The TikTok account (foosgonewild) who has 1.1 million followers was paid $50 grand to make a video with Democrat Governor candidate Tom Steyer
I looked into and found there have been many more… pic.twitter.com/WApByOu1o3
While the investigation is ongoing, a current gap in authority between the FEC and FTC might excuse the nondisclosures. The FEC has no explicit laws for political influencers, which remain a separate category from TV and print ads. The FTC enforces commercial promotion disclosures, but the rule does not currently apply to political content. The gap is sparking bipartisan calls to address the issue.
Despite the rapidly accumulating campaign expenses, Steyer is currently polling at just 15 percent, trailing behind opponents. Steyer must've forgotten about former squad member Cori Bush, who lost her August 2024 Democratic Primary after relying almost entirely on digital campaigning.
Politicians should heed the warning these instances provide, which demonstrate the limits of digital campaigns.
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