{"id":331463,"date":"2026-05-25T09:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T09:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/331463\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T09:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T09:49:13","slug":"influencers-who-monetize-their-political-support-the-controversy-in-the-california-governors-race-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/331463\/","title":{"rendered":"Influencers who monetize their political support: The controversy in the California governor\u2019s race | U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

Carlos Eduardo Espina\u2019s rise began during the Covid pandemic, when he started posting videos in Spanish on TikTok that explained immigration and political issues in a casual style aimed at Hispanics in the United States. He eventually amassed millions of followers across different digital platforms, and soon attracted the attention of politicians eager to reach his audience. <\/p>\n

In recent months, he has posted videos praising the proposals of California gubernatorial candidate<\/a> Tom Steyer, and others where he is seen with Steyer at campaign events \u2014 amid selfies, greetings to supporters and reggaeton music \u2014 in Los Angeles and San Diego. Finally, the Uruguay-born, U.S.-raised influencer posted a video with an announcement that evidenced Steyer\u2019s new prominence in his content: \u201cI have a new job\u2026 I have been hired by Mr. Tom Steyer.\u201d For $400,000, he had monetized his endorsement of the multimillionaire candidate for California governor.<\/p>\n

This case fuels the growing controversy over the use of influencers<\/a> in political campaigns that aim to give young voters the impression that these endorsements are \u201corganic\u201d and reflect personal convictions, without transparently disclosing that there is financial compensation behind them. It is a relatively new trend, and legislation is lagging behind. It was not until 2024 that laws took effect in California and Texas requiring content creators to disclose whether their posts were funded by a candidate or campaign. At the federal level, by contrast, agencies such as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) still operate under older regulatory frameworks that do not apply well to social media or political advertising.<\/p>\n

A story in The New York Times scrutinized an initial payment of $100,000 that Steyer gave the influencer. Later, Espina himself revealed that he expected to be paid a total of $400,000, a figure confirmed to this outlet by the candidate\u2019s campaign managers. \u201cNot everything has been paid yet, but I am saying it transparently so later they don\u2019t come to me saying: oh, this and that,\u201d Espina said.<\/p>\n

California influencers Beatrice Gomberg and Kaitlyn Hennessy were not surprised that Carlos Eduardo Espina ended up joining Steyer\u2019s campaign. They had spent several weeks poring over the Democrat\u2019s expenditure records and had found that dozens of influencers were on his payroll. Some were paid as little as $10 per video, others received $1,000 payments, and some were issued checks for $10,000. Espina, however, stood out with a six-figure salary.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarlos Espina is the tip of Tom Steyer\u2019s attempt to change the social media landscape,\u201d Hennessy said in a phone interview with EL PA\u00cdS. \u201cHe has hired minorities, mostly women who live outside California, paying them $10 per video \u2014 below the state minimum wage \u2014 basically exploiting them so they produce content that makes Latinos and Black voters like him and vote for him,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The findings, compiled in a 24-page report, are now part of a broader investigation opened a few days ago by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), the California government agency responsible for overseeing electoral ethics. The complaint alleges that many of those videos, including Espina\u2019s, violated state law by failing to clearly identify that the content was paid for by Steyer\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n

This controversy is unfolding as candidates refine their strategies ahead of the California primary election for governor on June 2. After losing momentum and falling to third place in the most recent polls, Steyer is trying to close the gap and wrest the lead from Xavier Becerra, a former congressman and former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration. Under California\u2019s election system, only the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the November election<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Espina case<\/p>\n

Carlos Eduardo Espina was not chosen at random by Tom Steyer\u2019s team: the 27-year-old has about 23 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. The Pew Research Center considers him one of the country\u2019s most popular news influencers, alongside Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan. He has become known for speaking on camera about high-interest topics such as immigration<\/a>, civil rights, politics and elections.<\/p>\n

His growth was rapid. One of his first viral videos was published five years ago, when he was still a university student, explaining step by step how to obtain U.S. citizenship. Since then, his mix of activism, outreach and accessible language has led him to be described as a kind of \u201cone-person Telemundo,\u201d but on social media.<\/p>\n

His decision to endorse Steyer raised questions within his own audience, especially given the presence of two Hispanic candidates. On social media he faced criticism and slurs. He was branded \u201csellout\u201d and \u201cchayotero\u201d (someone who is opportunistic). In his first video on the subject, Espina explained that he met the candidate through a Democratic congressman and agreed to be his \u201cpolitical adviser\u201d on matters related to the Hispanic community. The initial $100,000 payment became known only later, after being revealed by a Times report. According to campaign expenditure records, the money was routed through a company linked to the influencer under the concept of \u201cstrategic advising and campaign representation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ElGovernor Gavin Christopher Newsom and Carlos Eduardo Espina, in California.@CarlosEduardoEspina1998<\/p>\n

Far from avoiding the controversy, Espina has tried to capitalize on it in his own way. In one video, he claimed he was being attacked by \u201cshitty people\u201d who did not appreciate the \u201cmore than $3 million\u201d in donations he allegedly made to help various people. In another post, he said, ironically, that he had \u201clearned his lesson\u201d and so in the next election campaign, \u201cI\u2019m going to ask for more\u201d money. He then let out a laugh that sounded rehearsed. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with getting paid to advise someone I believe is a great person and could be a great governor?\u201d he said in another response. \u201cI say he\u2019s awesome, he\u2019s the real deal, he\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement for this article, Kevin Liao, a spokesperson for Steyer\u2019s campaign, rejected the claim that the payment was not transparent, noting that it was duly reported in the candidate\u2019s expenditures. \u201cCarlos is an invaluable part of our team in his capacity as a strategic adviser for Latino mobilization,\u201d he said. \u201cFew people match his connection with the Latino community, and Tom is proud to have him on the team.\u201d Liao explained that because Espina was not hired as a content creator, any of his posts about the race \u201care on his own initiative\u201d and should not be classified as paid political advertising.<\/p>\n

Activist Patty Ch\u00e1vez says the case leaves a lesson for voters: the need to independently verify the information they consume on social media. \u201cThere\u2019s a big difference between supporting a candidate because they align with your ideals and values and doing it because you\u2019re being paid,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The influencers who are paid $10<\/p>\n

At the time this report was published, a website for hiring influencers operated by Steyer\u2019s campaign was still active. The offer called for producing between one and three daily videos for TikTok and Instagram during May and June in exchange for a fixed monthly fee of $1,000. That was supplemented by tiered incentives based on content reach: an additional $75 for surpassing 100,000 views; $125 if it reached 250,000; $300 at 500,000; $500 for exceeding one million; and up to $1,000 more if the video surpassed five million views.<\/p>\n

The site includes three \u201cexample\u201d videos in which supposed spontaneous users expressed support for the multimillionaire and criticized his main Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra. The offer stated the obligation to disclose that the content was sponsored. However, it is not clear whether Steyer\u2019s team effectively monitors compliance with that requirement.<\/p>\n

Before the Espina case, the campaign had already faced controversy over a video posted in March by influencer Isaiah \u201cZay Dante\u201d Washington, who has 1.8 million followers on TikTok. In the piece \u2014 an interview with Steyer \u2014 it was not specified that the creator had received $10,000 for his participation. The video was later removed, though the payment appears in the campaign\u2019s financial records. The incident is also under review by the Fair Political Practices Commission.<\/p>\n

Another content creator who accepted payment from Steyer is Jason Chu, who has about 135,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. In a video released in February, he analyzed the Democrat\u2019s trajectory, from his fortune built on investments in private prisons, the tobacco industry and fossil fuels, to his transformation \u2014 as he put it \u2014 into a progressive committed to the environment and social causes. \u201cAre billionaires evil?\u201d Chu asks in the post. At that time, according to The Washington Post, Chu had not disclosed that he received $2,000 for \u201conline communications\u201d work through a contractor linked to the campaign.<\/p>\n

\"TomTom Steyer attends a debate in the race for governor of California on May 14.Carlos Barria (REUTERS)<\/p>\n

According to the influencers who have investigated these practices, Beatrice Gomberg and Kaitlyn Hennessy, Steyer\u2019s digital strategy is organized on four levels: first, recruiting high-reach influencers like Carlos Eduardo Espina; second, hiring creators with medium-sized audiences of up to 10,000 followers; third, paying around $10 per video to creators with smaller audiences who are economically vulnerable; and fourth, spreading memes and humorous clips across multiple accounts on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very obviously paid advertising that has been distributed across more than one hundred accounts managed from outside the country. Yet in none of the videos is it mentioned that the content is sponsored,\u201d Gomberg said referencing the last tactic, in an interview with EL PA\u00cdS. \u201cPeople should know if someone is working for Tom Steyer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao declined to provide a list of influencers hired and insisted that creators\u2019 support is genuine. \u201cOur campaign has never paid for endorsements,\u201d he said in the statement sent to this outlet. \u201cCreators should be compensated for their time and work, like any other professional. We are transparent, unlike other campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others have a very different view. \u201cI\u2019m horrified by his ethical integrity,\u201d Gomberg said.<\/p>\n

*With additional reporting by Carla Gloria Colom\u00e9<\/p>\n

Sign up for our weekly newsletter<\/a> to get more English-language news coverage from EL PA\u00cdS USA Edition<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Carlos Eduardo Espina\u2019s rise began during the Covid pandemic, when he started posting videos in Spanish on TikTok…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,47],"class_list":["post-331463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-los-angeles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}