The California Fair Political Practices Commission has launched an investigation into the gubernatorial campaign of Tom Steyer over allegations that his team failed to properly disclose payments to social media influencers. Simultaneously, Tom Steyer has filed a retaliatory complaint against his opponent, Xavier Becerra, claiming his supporters also obfuscated paid content.
Before the controversy erupted, Tom Steyer appeared on The Ezra Klein Show to detail his policy platform, including a twenty-two billion dollar incentive program for housing. Tom Steyer positioned himself as a pragmatist, stating, "I'm the only person on this stage who's saying, 'I'll pass a proposition to bring over twenty billion dollars to the cities and counties.'"
The tone of the campaign has shifted from policy debate to legal sparring, even though Tom Steyer and Xavier Becerra previously found common ground on homelessness. On The Ezra Klein Show, Tom Steyer noted, "I agree with what Xavier was saying, which is we need to keep people off the street because it is much cheaper." That collegiality is now in the rearview mirror as the campaign nears the June 2 primary, fueled by a record-breaking $192.4 million of his own money.
