Influencer files complaint against Steyer campaign, alleging violations

A political influencer filed a complaint against Tom Steyer’s campaign for governor, alleging the committee failed to notify her of California disclosure requirements when she was paid to meet with Steyer in March and later produced social media content from the meeting. The influencer said the campaign falsely accused her of posting paid content supporting Xavier Becerra without disclosing it. She said she was paid by Steyer’s campaign, signed an agreement barring disclosure of the payment, and posted then deleted a video from the meeting. The complaint alleges the campaign paid for political content, structured it to appear organic, and used a non-disclosure agreement to prevent public knowledge. The campaign disclosed a $5,000 payment for digital advertising but did not link it to the meeting or content, and said she controlled whether to create content.

"A political influencer has filed a complaint against Tom Steyer's campaign for governor, saying the committee failed to notify her of disclosure requirements, as required by law, when she was paid to meet with Steyer in March and later produced social media content from the meeting."

""In plain terms: the Committee paid for political content, structured it to look like an ordinary creator's organic opinion, and used a non-disclosure agreement to keep the public from learning the truth," says the complaint, filed Thursday with California's Fair Political Practices Commission."

"Steyer's campaign disclosed in a campaign filing that it had paid the agency that represents Reed $5,000 for digital advertising, but didn't indicate that the payment was connected to Reed's meeting with Steyer or her production of content."

"The Steyer campaign said that while it did pay to meet with Reed, it left the decision of whether to create content entirely up to her."

Read at Los Angeles Times