Tom Steyer pays $75k to Foos Gone Wild and The Shade Room to juice trailing campaign
Billionaire Tom Steyer is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to win over young voters as he vies for the California governorship. Recent financial filings have revealed that Steyer paid a whopping $75,000 to popular social media accounts The Shade Room and Foos Gone Wild in a bid to appeal to Gen Z voters.
Steyer, who has already poured over $190 million of his own money into his campaign, made a $25,000 payment to The Shade Room, a celebrity gossip account with 28 million Instagram followers. The account posted about Steyer’s campaign, highlighting his stance on blocking the merger of Warner Bros and Paramount, as well as his endorsement by the Black Women’s Collective PAC.
Another $50,000 was paid to meme account Foos Gone Wild for a friendly interview with Steyer. The interview featured Steyer discussing important issues like holding ICE accountable and enjoying food at a taco truck. However, the post did not initially disclose that it was a paid promotion, leading to some criticism from social media creators.
Both payments were facilitated through Flight House, a communications agency that works with influencers. This is not the first time Steyer has come under fire for his social media strategy, as accusations of concealing payments to influencers have been raised in the past.
Steyer is currently trailing behind Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra in the polls. Despite this, Steyer’s campaign remains confident in their approach, with spokesperson Kevin Liao stating that all payments to creators have been fully disclosed. Liao also took a swipe at Becerra, accusing him of benefiting from bot-driven political manipulation.
As the June 2 primary election approaches, it remains to be seen whether Steyer’s social media spending will pay off in his bid for the governorship. With the race heating up, both candidates are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to secure victory.
