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California Opens Probe Into Steyer Campaign’s Paid Influencer Posts

The inquiry tests California’s new rule that forces paid political posts to tell viewers they are sponsored.

Overview

  • State election regulators launched an investigation after a complaint said pro‑Steyer videos looked paid but lacked clear sponsor labels.
  • The filing and a Los Angeles Times review cite identical scripts, coordinated talking points, and creators tied to other states such as Florida.
  • The 2023 law requires clear in‑post disclosures and is enforced by court orders rather than fines.
  • The Steyer campaign rejects wrongdoing and says it disclosed payments in finance reports and notified creators of the disclosure rule.
  • A vendor’s recruiting ad for creators first offered $10 per post and later switched to a $1,000 monthly rate with an explicit disclosure requirement, a detail likely to draw regulator scrutiny.