Tom Steyer’s paid influencer army revealed in filings as critics blast deceptive tactics
Billionaire governor candidate Tom Steyer faces scrutiny for allegedly paying social media influencers to promote his campaign without proper disclosure. California's Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating his spending, which has exceeded $130 million. Critics argue that this tactic misleads voters and undermines transparency in political campaigning.
- ▪Tom Steyer has reportedly paid influencers to boost his campaign, leading to accusations of deceptive tactics.
- ▪California's Fair Political Practices Commission is probing Steyer's spending on influencers and meme accounts.
- ▪Steyer's campaign has spent over $130 million, with payments to various influencers for promotional content.
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Politics Tom Steyer’s paid influencer army revealed in filings as critics blast deceptive tactics By Annie Gaus Published May 18, 2026, 7:35 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Billionaire governor candidate Tom Steyer is in hot water for reportedly paying for popularity to a growing list of influencers and meme accounts revealed in campaign filings — as critics accuse the 68-year-old political hopeful of trying to hoodwink voters. California’s Fair Political Practices Commission has launched a probe of Steyer’s hefty spending on a small army of Gen Z creators, some of whom didn’t disclose they were being paid by the hedge fund billionaire and later nuked the deceptive posts.
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