Paid Influencer Endorsements Fly Under the Radar in Political Campaigns

Political campaigns are increasingly turning to social-media influencers to market candidates, exploiting a regulatory gap that leaves paid endorsements largely undisclosed. While traditional advertising such as mailers, billboards and broadcast spots must reveal sponsor payments, most states do not impose the same requirement on online content. Influencer Josh Greene, who reaches roughly 800,000 followers, has accepted compensation from at least seven politicians or affiliated groups, including a $21,500 contribution from former California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, yet he does not label his posts as sponsored.

Greene says he only works for candidates he already supports and calls for stricter transparency rules. The phenomenon is not confined to Democrats; Republican Rep. Barry Moore lodged an FEC complaint alleging that at least eight influencer accounts were paid to disparage his military record, and reports link GOP candidates such as Nate Morris and Ken Paxton to paid influencer campaigns. Viewers can only discover these arrangements by examining campaign finance reports.