An initiative aimed at boosting Democrats online offers influencers up to $8,000 a month to push the party line. All they have to do is keep it secret—and agree to restrictions on their content.
Now, Democrats hope that the secretive Chorus Creator Incubator Program, funded by a powerful liberal dark money group called The Sixteen Thirty Fund, might tip the scales. The program kicked off last month, and creators involved were told by Chorus that over 90 influencers were set to take part. Creators told WIRED that the contract stipulated they’d be kicked out and essentially cut off financially if they even so much as acknowledged that they were part of the program. Some creators also raised concerns about a slew of restrictive clauses in the contract.
Democrats: dark money is bad, we need to repeal Citizens United, and require disclosure of campaign spending
also Democrats: what if we had a dark money group and used it to pay influencers, with the condition that they couldn’t disclose we were paying them
According to copies of the contract viewed by WIRED, creators in the program must funnel all bookings with lawmakers and political leaders through Chorus. Creators also have to loop Chorus in on any independently organized engagements with government officials or political leaders.
“If I want to work with another politician, I have to fully collaborate with them,” said one creator who was offered the contract but ultimately declined to take it and asked not to be named. “If I get Zohran and he wants to [do an] interview with me, I don’t want to give that to them.”
Creators in the program are not allowed to use any funds or resources that they receive as part of the program to make content that supports or opposes any political candidate or campaign without express authorization from Chorus in advance and in writing, per the contract.
absolute boomer-brained shit. people thrive on platforms like TikTok because of their authenticity. this group wanted to completely co-opt the content creators, remove all their independence and authenticity, and hope the audience didn’t notice.
Progressive YouTuber and former Media Matters staffer Kat Abughazaleh, who’s running for Congress in Illinois, was pictured on Chorus’ website and included in fundraising decks without her consent. She asked that her image and name be removed and no longer used for fundraising purposes.
Democrats: dark money is bad, we need to repeal Citizens United, and require disclosure of campaign spending
also Democrats: what if we had a dark money group and used it to pay influencers, with the condition that they couldn’t disclose we were paying them
absolute boomer-brained shit. people thrive on platforms like TikTok because of their authenticity. this group wanted to completely co-opt the content creators, remove all their independence and authenticity, and hope the audience didn’t notice.
absolutely infuriating. fuck these people.