Paid Influencers and AI-Generated Content in U.S. Political Campaigns

During the 2024 California gubernatorial race, billionaire donor Tom Steyer paid social-media creators $10 per post to endorse his campaign, later shifting to a $1,000-per-month partnership that included a disclosure requirement. A California elections watchdog is also probing a $10,000 honorarium paid to a TikTok influencer for an “interview.”

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Simultaneously, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has deployed artificial-intelligence tools to fabricate videos that appear to show Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, and Maine Governor Janet Mills speaking or endorsing positions they never made. In Los Angeles, mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has promoted fan-created AI ads that depict opponent Karen Bass as a fictional villain.

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Steyer’s payments were made without the required #sponcon disclosures, potentially violating California law that mandates clear labeling of sponsored political content. Campaign staffers acknowledge the risk that creators may “extort” higher fees or switch allegiances.

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*Rob Flaherty*, digital director for former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign, warned that “paying creators under the table through LLCs for consulting contracts” is a tactic migrating from the right to the left.

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Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) described the practice as “very common,” while Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) noted, “there’s always a risk in any check you write.” Both senators highlighted the lack of a functional Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce disclosure rules.

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The NRSC’s AI-generated videos and Pratt’s fan-made ads illustrate how synthetic media can create “materially deceptive” impressions of candidate statements.

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Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called for “broader restrictions on AI-produced content,” advocating mandatory watermarking and a ban on undisclosed AI use in politics. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) echoed the need for disclosure, stressing that “the voice is synced up so perfectly… you cannot tell. It should have to be disclosed.”

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• The California elections watchdog has opened an investigation into Steyer’s influencer payments and the undisclosed TikTok honorarium.

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• Sen. Schatz urged Congress to restore a functional FEC to address enforcement gaps.

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• Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Cynthia Lummis publicly supported legislative measures to label AI-generated political content.

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• Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, which would prohibit “materially deceptive audio or visual media that is generated by artificial intelligence” in federal races; the bill currently has four bipartisan cosponsors.

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Consumer-advocacy groups argue that undisclosed influencer payments erode voter trust, while technology-policy experts warn that AI deepfakes could amplify misinformation faster than existing fact-checking mechanisms. Both concerns converge on the need for clearer disclosure standards and enforceable penalties.

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• Steyer’s payment structure is reported as both $10 per post and $1,000 per month, reflecting a recent change that has not been uniformly documented.

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• The extent of AI usage across campaigns remains unclear; no comprehensive audit has been released, leaving the true scale of synthetic-media deployment uncertain.

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• “As Kamala Harris’s 2024 digital director Rob Flaherty wrote in The Bulwark last week in his personal postmortem for the former VP’s failed presidential campaign: There are a number of tactics that have become standard practice on the right that are probably going to move over to the left—such as paying creators under the table through LLCs for consulting contracts or otherwise.” — Rob Flaherty, Digital Director, Kamala Harris 2024 campaign

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• “I’m very familiar with that. That’s a very common thing,” — Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)

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• “I think if we had a good Federal Election Commission—or even a functioning one—then we could do something about that,” — Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)

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• “I mean, watermark and identify all of it, and ban it in politics.” — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)

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• “Because now they’ve got to where the voice is synced up so perfectly with the AI image that you can’t tell that it’s not an AI image.” — Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)

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The California elections watchdog’s probe may result in fines or corrective orders for undisclosed influencer payments. In Washington, the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act is slated for committee debate, and additional legislation on influencer disclosure is expected as lawmakers respond to bipartisan pressure for clearer enforcement mechanisms.

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