Political Campaigns Secretly Fund Social Media Influencers, Raising Transparency Concerns
Political campaigns are increasingly paying social media influencers to promote candidates, often without disclosing these payments to viewers. This practice has become widespread across the political spectrum, with influencers like Josh Greene, known as @joshtheprogressive, receiving compensation from multiple campaigns. Greene, who has nearly 800,000 followers, has been paid by at least seven politicians or supporting groups in the current campaign cycle, including $21,500 from former California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. While Greene states he only accepts money from candidates he would support regardless, the lack of disclosure means viewers are often unaware that endorsements are paid. The issue extends beyond individual influencers, with some campaigns utilizing user-generated content platforms to pay numerous lesser-known creators for a high volume of posts, further obscuring the financial ties. This trend highlights a significant gap in federal regulations regarding the disclosure of paid ... 
