Quick Summary: Assemblymember Berman Pushes for Direct Penalties on Hidden Political Endorsements
- California’s new bill aims to fine content creators and campaigns up to $5,000 per violation for undisclosed paid political posts, closing a major loophole.
- Assemblymember Marc Berman’s proposal would allow the Fair Political Practices Commission to directly impose penalties, bypassing lengthy court processes.
- The Tom Steyer gubernatorial campaign highlighted the issue by paying creators for undisclosed promotional content, sparking controversy.
- Content creators like Isaiah Washington, with millions of followers, were paid significant sums without disclosing payments, leading to video removals.
- Some creators were offered as little as $10 per post, raising ethical concerns about the authenticity of political endorsements.
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California is taking a bold step to ensure transparency in political campaigning by targeting the murky world of paid influencer endorsements. The state is poised to fine content creators and campaign committees up to $5,000 per violation if they fail to disclose paid political posts. This move comes in response to the Tom Steyer gubernatorial campaign’s controversial use of influencers, which exposed a significant loophole in the current law.
The proposed bill, championed by Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, seeks to empower the Fair Political Practices Commission with direct fining authority, eliminating the need for protracted court battles. This legislation is a direct response to campaigns that have been able to mask paid promotions as organic support, misleading voters.
The Steyer campaign’s tactics have put a spotlight on the ethical challenges of influencer marketing in politics. Creators like Isaiah Washington, who boasts a massive TikTok following, were paid thousands without disclosing these payments, which has now become a focal point of the controversy. Meanwhile, other influencers were offered meager sums, sparking debates about the integrity of such endorsements.
As California pushes forward with this legislation, it sets a precedent for other states and potentially the federal government, where similar disclosure rules are notably absent. The bill’s progress through the legislature will be closely watched, as it could redefine the landscape of political advertising in the digital age.
CalMatters separately reported that Steyer’s campaign was also paying more than $870,000 to a digital media agency, Group Project Digital, which recruited creators to post daily videos about him. Creator Nick Renteria, whose sample video was included in the listing without his consent, called the pay scale “a little bit icky” and said, “Anyone who’s worth their salt is not taking $10 to sell out.
The key new development in the latest reporting is that California’s existing 2023 disclosure law has proved too weak in practice because regulators currently must go to court to force compliance, a process the Associated Press said can take months. California is moving to close a major enforcement loophole in its political-influencer law by giving regulators power to fine creators and campaign committees up to $5,000 per violation if paid political posts are not clearly disclosed, a response to recent scrutiny of undisclosed pro-campaign content in the 2026 governor’s race.
The Post found a SideShift listing offering some creators $10 a post for uploading one to three pro-Steyer posts a day, with bonuses for videos topping 100,000 views; that listing was later revised to offer $1,000 a month instead. By June 30, the proposed enforcement fix had already reached a Senate committee hearing packet spelling out the new penalty structure.
8 million TikTok followers, was paid $10,000 by Steyer’s campaign for a video that did not disclose the payment; the video was later removed. Adam Schiff introduced federal legislation last month, but AP reported it has not yet received a vote.
On May 15, the Los Angeles Times reported a complaint to the FPPC alleging Steyer-backed creators posted sponsored videos without disclosure, and quoted state Sen. Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman has now written a bill to let the Fair Political Practices Commission impose penalties directly, bypassing that court process.
By June 30, the proposed enforcement fix had already reached a Senate committee hearing packet spelling out the new penalty structure. Some creators were offered as little as $10 per post, raising ethical concerns about the authenticity of political endorsements.
On May 15, the Los Angeles Times reported a complaint to the FPPC alleging Steyer-backed creators posted sponsored videos without disclosure, and quoted state Sen. Assemblymember Marc Berman’s proposal would allow the Fair Political Practices Commission to directly impose penalties, bypassing lengthy court processes.
The scale and speed of this development has caught many observers off guard. Each new update adds another dimension to a story that is still unfolding, and the full picture will only become clear as more verified details emerge from the people and institutions directly involved.
Analysts who have tracked this issue closely say the current moment represents a genuine turning point. The decisions made in the coming weeks are expected to set the direction for months ahead, with ripple effects likely to extend well beyond the immediate actors in the story.
For those directly affected, the practical impact is already visible. People navigating this fast-changing situation are dealing with real consequences while new information continues to reshape what is known and what remains open to interpretation.
Historical parallels offer some context, though experts caution against drawing too close a comparison. Similar situations have played out before, but the specific combination of pressures, personalities, and timing here makes this moment distinct in ways that matter for how it ultimately resolves.
The political and economic dimensions of this story are deeply intertwined. What appears as a single event on the surface is in practice the convergence of multiple pressures that have been building quietly over a longer period than most public reporting has captured.