California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is investigating Tom Steyer’s gubernatorial campaign over allegations that it paid social media creators to publish political content without required disclosures, according to complaints filed with the agency and a 24-page report compiled by two California influencers.
Attorney Nick Rowley filed a complaint last week with the FPPC on behalf of social media creator Margaret “Maggie” Reed, alleging that Steyer’s campaign engaged her to produce and publish content on TikTok, Instagram, and X without informing her that California law required the posts to carry paid political communication disclosures, per the Davis Vanguard.
A written contract included in the complaint shows a $5,000 fee for the engagement, which the campaign reported on Form 460 under “Palette Media” as “Digital Advertising” expenses, with the payment coded as “TEL” rather than “WEB.”
“You cannot pay influencers, fail to inform them of disclosure obligations, require silence about the payment, and then accuse the very creator you failed to inform of wrongdoing,” Rowley said in a statement.
Four-Tier Creator Strategy
The FPPC investigation extends beyond Reed’s complaint. Influencers Beatrice Gomberg and Kaitlyn Hennessy compiled a 24-page report detailing what they describe as a four-tier influencer strategy: recruiting high-reach creators, hiring mid-sized creators, paying approximately $10 per video to smaller creators, and distributing memes across more than 100 accounts, El País reports.
The campaign’s highest-profile creator relationship involves Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 27-year-old influencer with approximately 23 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Espina publicly disclosed he was hired by Steyer for $400,000, a figure confirmed to El País by campaign representatives.
Campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao said Espina was hired as a strategic adviser, not a content creator, and that his posts about the race “are on his own initiative.”
Disclosure Law Under Scrutiny
California’s paid political influencer disclosure law took effect in 2024 after Governor Gavin Newsom signed it. The Davis Vanguard reports that CalMatters described the Steyer investigation as “one of the first tests of the law” and noted that the law was “intentionally designed with no real penalties,” meaning any resolution could take considerable time.
The campaign has spent more than $123,000 on influencer activity during the 2026 gubernatorial race and over $130 million of Steyer’s own money overall, according to the FPPC complaint.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is investigating Tom Steyer’s gubernatorial campaign over allegations that it paid social media creators to publish political content without required disclosures, according to complaints filed with the agency and a 24-page report compiled by two California influencers.
Attorney Nick Rowley filed a complaint last week with the FPPC on behalf of social media creator Margaret “Maggie” Reed, alleging that Steyer’s campaign engaged her to produce and publish content on TikTok, Instagram, and X without informing her that California law required the posts to carry paid political communication disclosures, per the Davis Vanguard.
A written contract included in the complaint shows a $5,000 fee for the engagement, which the campaign reported on Form 460 under “Palette Media” as “Digital Advertising” expenses, with the payment coded as “TEL” rather than “WEB.”
“You cannot pay influencers, fail to inform them of disclosure obligations, require silence about the payment, and then accuse the very creator you failed to inform of wrongdoing,” Rowley said in a statement.
Four-Tier Creator Strategy
The FPPC investigation extends beyond Reed’s complaint. Influencers Beatrice Gomberg and Kaitlyn Hennessy compiled a 24-page report detailing what they describe as a four-tier influencer strategy: recruiting high-reach creators, hiring mid-sized creators, paying approximately $10 per video to smaller creators, and distributing memes across more than 100 accounts, El País reports.
The campaign’s highest-profile creator relationship involves Carlos Eduardo Espina, a 27-year-old influencer with approximately 23 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Espina publicly disclosed he was hired by Steyer for $400,000, a figure confirmed to El País by campaign representatives.
Campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao said Espina was hired as a strategic adviser, not a content creator, and that his posts about the race “are on his own initiative.”
Disclosure Law Under Scrutiny
California’s paid political influencer disclosure law took effect in 2024 after Governor Gavin Newsom signed it. The Davis Vanguard reports that CalMatters described the Steyer investigation as “one of the first tests of the law” and noted that the law was “intentionally designed with no real penalties,” meaning any resolution could take considerable time.
The campaign has spent more than $123,000 on influencer activity during the 2026 gubernatorial race and over $130 million of Steyer’s own money overall, according to the FPPC complaint.
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