![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781899813_311_SAC_0066_PK_20260602_STEYER.JPG\" "\\"Supporters")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Supporters of California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer watch their phones for election results on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Steyer has had several complaints filed against him with the Fair Political Practices Commission for paying social media influencers for campaign advertisements that weren\u2019t disclosed.<\/p>\n
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.<\/p>\n
pkitagaki@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not atypical to see lawmakers and government officials meeting at local coffee shops or restaurants, especially within walking distance of the Capitol.<\/p>\n
Which is why, while working at a table inside a coffee shop on R Street last week, I wasn\u2019t particularly surprised when Adam Silver, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission<\/a>, sat down at one of the tables next to me.<\/p>\n But then I heard him joke to his coffee companion that he was glad there wasn\u2019t a reporter around to overhear their conversation.<\/p>\n For the record, Silver denies making any comments about any journalists at the coffee shop, but my attention was piqued.<\/p>\n I spoke to Silver by phone later. To their credit, the FPPC then sent numerous, publicly-available documents that confirmed it has received 20 or so complaints against various candidates in the recent election cycle.<\/p>\n Silver told me he has been meeting with various stakeholders to discuss his personal support of Assembly Bill 1130 by Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park.<\/a> It would amend the Political Reform Act of 1974<\/a> and close a loophole in California campaign finance law that would require political campaigns and third-party influencers to disclose when money is exchanged between them in campaigns.<\/p>\n According to the FPPC, under existing law, campaign committees are required to notify influencers of their obligation to disclose payment, but the law expressly limits the influencer\u2019s liability and does not provide liability for campaign committees if the disclosures are omitted. Berman\u2019s bill would make influencers and the campaigns that paid them liable if they failed to disclose the expenditure.<\/p>\n AB 1130 is regulation long overdue: The social media landscape, much of it headquartered in California, has far outpaced the state\u2019s legislation containing it<\/a>; and Californians deserve to know<\/a> when their social media feeds are showing paid political content, especially as AI-created content and deepfakes are becoming harder to spot.<\/a><\/p>\n There have already been several complaints this year about candidates paying influencers with large followings to make positive posts about their campaigns. Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer received the bulk of attention for the shady practice<\/a>, but the documents included multiple, similar complaints made against Xavier Becerra, the Democratic nominee running for governor, as well as some complaints against Los Angeles mayoral candidate, Nithya Raman.<\/a><\/p>\n When I spoke to Silver about what I\u2019d overheard in the coffee shop, he didn\u2019t deny it: \u201cI meet with folks from both sides of the aisle, good government groups, members of the public\u2026 I don\u2019t find what I said to be controversial or confidential.\u201d<\/p>\n But he admitted that his hesitancy to weigh in during an election was because, \u201cin a sense, what you\u2019re going to do is signalling to the public that this conduct should be illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c(It signals) we think it\u2019s not ethical,\u201d Silver said.<\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SAC_0047_PK_20250716_PK_ROBINEPLEY.jpg\")