Exclusive: California influencer disclosures offer a glimpse at how secret money distorts American politics

Federal campaigns can keep influencer spending secret because enforcement of stealth advertising falls under the Federal Trade Commission while political spending oversight by the Federal Elections Commission is limited. Recent disclosures of Tom Steyer’s influencer spending on social media and Substack provide a clearer view of how modern campaigns use content creators. Steyer’s team entered the race with a broadcast plan and a large budget, while also treating digital channels as central to strategy. Because Steyer faced political liabilities in a post-Biden Democratic environment, advisers focused on outreach to left-leaning influencers. The campaign held meet-and-greets, hired creator management agencies including Group Project Digital, and used Side Shift to connect creators with paid messaging. Influencers received issue guidance and sample content aligned with Steyer’s policy priorities.

"Federal campaigns keep influencer spending secret, taking advantage of a gap between the authority of the Federal Trade Commission - which polices stealth advertising - and the barely functional Federal Elections Commission, which nominally polices political spending."

"Going into the race, Steyer's team had a broadcast media plan backed up by a significant war chest. But the campaign believed that digital channels were going to be a very important piece of his campaign strategy, and not just due to changing media habits that have shifted TV eyeballs to phone screens."

"So the Steyer campaign and its advisers devised a series of outreach efforts to win over left-leaning influencers. First, the campaign set up meet-and-greets with content creators to get to know Steyer personally, at one point inviting along a Washington Post reporter. Steyer's campaign hired creator management agencies and Group Project Digital, its primary firm, to lead its strategic communications online."

"The campaign and its firms passed along guidance to the influencers. A brief shared with Semafor lists issues Steyer wanted creators to highlight, including his policy plans for taxes, housing, and combating federal immigration enforcement, among other issues. It also included sample content, and a"

Read at Semafor