Nonprofit Offered Influencers Up to $8K Monthly to Boost Democratic messaging

WIRED reports Chorus program, backed by The Sixteen Thirty Fund, set limits on content and barred participants from disclosing payments.

A nonprofit tied to a major Democratic funding network has offered political influencers up to $8,000 per month to promote party-aligned messaging online, according to a WIRED report, with contracts requiring participants to keep the arrangement confidential.

The program, run by Chorus and backed by The Sixteen Thirty Fund, recruited dozens of creators who collectively reach millions of followers, the report said. 

Influencers were told they could be removed from the program if they disclosed their participation or funding.

According to contracts reviewed by WIRED, creators agreed they would “not publicize” their relationship with Chorus or disclose funding sources “without Chorus’s prior express consent.” 

The agreements also required influencers to route interactions with lawmakers through the organization and restricted political content produced using program resources without prior approval.

“There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit,” said Graham Wilson, an attorney working with Chorus, during a Zoom call reviewed by WIRED. “It avoids a lot of the public disclosure or public disclaimers … that you see on political ads.”

Some creators expressed concern about the restrictions. “If I want to work with another politician, I have to fully collaborate with them,” one influencer told WIRED, declining to be named. Another described the structure as limiting independent content decisions.

Experts cited in the report raised concerns about transparency. Elizabeth Dubois, a researcher at the University of Ottawa, said “We are seeing influencers being pulled into these dark campaigns or shadow campaigns, where the legal aspect is murky at best.” She added that “for democracy to thrive, we do need transparency around who is paying for political messages.”

Don Heider of Santa Clara University said the terms raised ethical issues. “If the contract … says you can’t disclose it, then it’s pretty simple, you can’t take the money,” he said.

Chorus has said the program is designed to “build new infrastructure to fund independent progressive voices online at scale,” according to a fundraising document cited in the report.