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LOS ANGELES \u2014 A complaint filed Thursday with the California Fair Political Practices Commission alleges that Tom Steyer\u2019s gubernatorial campaign violated California campaign transparency laws by failing to properly disclose paid political influencer content on social media platforms.<\/p>\n
The complaint was filed by attorney Nick Rowley on behalf of social media creator Margaret \u201cMaggie\u201d Reed alongside the California Fair Political Practices Commission.<\/p>\n
The complaint alleges that Steyer\u2019s gubernatorial campaign \u201cviolated California campaign transparency laws governing paid political influencer content.\u201d<\/p>\n
Social media creator Margaret \u201cMaggie\u201d Reed states that Steyer\u2019s campaign \u201cengaged her to create and publish social media content concerning Tom Steyer on TikTok, Instagram, and X without informing her that California law required the posts to disclose that they were paid political communications.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reed has been one of many content creators solicited and paid for political influencer content by Steyer\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n
Nick Rowley, a nationally acclaimed trial attorney and co-founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice, highlighted that California\u2019s transparency laws state, \u201cYou 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to CalMatters, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law three years ago in order \u201cto bring transparency to the increasingly intertwined world of politics and content creators.\u201d<\/p>\n
The law is intended to ensure voters are informed about which political content is paid for, further protecting voters from hidden political advertising.<\/p>\n
CalMatters states that regulators have opened an investigation into Steyer\u2019s paid political influencer content, making it \u201cone of the first tests of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further, the outlet emphasized that the law was \u201cintentionally designed with no real penalties,\u201d and regulators responsible for enforcing it may take a very long time to resolve any investigation.<\/p>\n
The complaint includes a written contract from the Steyer campaign showing a $5,000 fee for the engagement. However, on a Form 460, the campaign billed the $5,000 fee as \u201cPalette Media\u201d for \u201cDigital Advertising\u201d expenses.<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, Steyer\u2019s campaign misreported the payment by coding it as \u201cTEL\u201d rather than \u201cWEB\u201d and failed to disclose details required by FPPC Regulation 18421.5, such as the creator account and the platforms where the paid content was published.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the complaint claims that \u201cthe campaign\u2019s contract imposed confidentiality obligations\u201d that kept the agreement\u2019s details private, including the payment, but did not inform Reed that legally required disclosures mandated the content be labeled as paid political advertising.<\/p>\n
As stated in the filing, Reed added a disclosure stating the content was paid for by Tom Steyer after becoming aware of disclosure rules. She ultimately removed the content entirely because of the circumstances.<\/p>\n
The complaint also points to Steyer\u2019s campaign spending \u201cmore than $123,000 on influencer activity during the 2026 gubernatorial race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, the complaint emphasizes the campaign\u2019s use of \u201cover $130 million of his own money on the campaign,\u201d which has made it one of the \u201cmost expensive gubernatorial primary campaigns in California history.\u201d<\/p>\n
CalMatters highlighted that Reed\u2019s complaint \u201creveals a major loophole in the disclosure law in a world of blurred lines between campaign roles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall, the complaint reflects the increasing use of influencers to reach voters through digital content and underscores growing concerns surrounding political communications and transparency requirements in California.<\/p>\n
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media \u2013 X<\/a>, Instagram <\/a>and Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0 Subscribe <\/a>the Vanguard News letters.\u00a0 To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org\/donate<\/a> or give directly through ActBlue<\/a>.\u00a0 Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.<\/p>\n Categories: Breaking News<\/a> Elections<\/a> State of California<\/a> Tags: California Politics<\/a> Campaign Finance<\/a> FPPC<\/a> influencer marketing<\/a> political transparency<\/a> Tom Steyer<\/a>