Overview
- The AdImpact data reported Wednesday shows Tom Steyer has spent or booked roughly $195–$200 million on broadcast, cable and radio advertising, the largest U.S. political ad effort so far this year.
- State officials have opened reviews: the Fair Political Practices Commission has a probe into creator payments and California’s attorney general said his office is looking into related complaints.
- Reporting identified paid social‑media arrangements, including a reported $100,000 payment to a Texas progressive influencer and contracts that urged creators to post issue content without naming the race, and some creators later edited or deleted posts after disclosure questions arose.
- The Steyer campaign denies wrongdoing, saying payments were disclosed in finance filings and creators were told about disclosure duties, while rivals accuse him of using personal wealth to gain an edge in a crowded field.
- Despite the ad saturation, recent polls show only marginal gains for Steyer and the contest remains competitive, and the dispute highlights limits of heavy spending, California’s 2023 creator‑disclosure law and the likelihood that enforcement will depend on complaint outcomes.