Progressive influencer Josh Greene, known as @joshtheprogressive, has nearly 800,000 followers and access to politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Records show the 26-year-old received money from at least seven politicians or supporting groups this cycle, including congressional candidates in New York and a super PAC linked to Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Former California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer paid him $21,500. Greene lives in Southern California and defends accepting payments only from candidates he supports, though he acknowledges needing clearer transparency laws.

The practice spans party lines. Representative Barry Moore of Alabama filed an FEC complaint alleging eight accounts were paid to attack his military record during a Republican primary. A Kentucky newspaper revealed a coordinated network boosting Nate Morris in a Republican Senate primary without disclosure. Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, the Republican nominee for Senate, has also utilized influencer networks.

Unlike traditional advertising, these paid endorsements fall into a legal gray area with no federal disclosure requirements. Only a few states regulate such payments. Campaigns sometimes ask influencers to conceal compensation, making it impossible for viewers to distinguish genuine support from pay-for-play. Payments are often obscured through middlemen in campaign finance reports. Progressive influencer Suzanne Lambert, with 1.3 million followers, refuses paid endorsements, warning the practice distorts democracy.