Wired reports that a secretive nonprofit organization with ties to a powerful leftist dark money group is quietly bankrolling a network of high-profile Democratic influencers, offering them up to $8,000 per month to join an astroturf machine pushing leftist talking points online.
A recent report from Wired claims that a clandestine influencer program aimed at bolstering Democrats’ online presence has recently come to light, revealing the involvement of a nonprofit organization called Chorus and its connections to The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a prominent leftist dark money group. The initiative, known as the Chorus Creator Incubator Program, recruits well-known left-wing influencers and offers them monthly payments of up to $8,000 in exchange for promoting the party’s messaging to their extensive follower base.
According to contracts viewed by Wired, the program requires participating influencers to maintain strict secrecy about their involvement and the source of their funding. The contracts prohibit creators from disclosing their relationship with Chorus or The Sixteen Thirty Fund and mandate that they funnel all bookings with lawmakers and political leaders through Chorus. Additionally, the influencers are restricted from using program funds to create content that supports or opposes any political candidate or campaign without prior written authorization from Chorus.
The influencers involved in the project include a wide range of leftist personalities on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, such as Olivia Julianna, who was previously tapped by the Democrats to reach young male voters..
Wired reports:
In their group chat, influencers debated the details.
“Should we send a joint email (with all of our email addresses) … or, are we just going to send things separately and hope they change everything for everyone?” Laurenzo, a nonbinary creator in Columbus, Ohio, with over 884,000 TikTok followers, asked the group. Some joked about collective bargaining. “Any Newsies fans here?” Eliza Orlins, a public defender and reality TV star known for her appearances on Survivor, posted in the group. “‘We’re a union just by sayin’ so!’”
The influencers in the chat collectively had at least 13 million followers across social platforms. They represented some of the most well-known voices online posting in support of Democrats, and they’re key to wherever the party moves next. But ultimately, the group didn’t make much progress.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund has emerged as a significant player in Democratic circles in recent years. The organization has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support various left-leaning causes and groups, with a particular focus on unseating former President Donald Trump and securing a Democratic majority in the Senate during the 2020 election cycle.
Chorus, described as a “project of” The Sixteen Thirty Fund, launched in November 2024 with ties to Good Influence, a for-profit influencer marketing agency aimed at connecting content creators with social-good campaigns. The organization claims that its initial creator cohort has a collective audience of more than 40 million followers, with over 100 million weekly viewers.
While some influencers have eagerly embraced the opportunity to work with Chorus, others have expressed concerns about the program’s restrictive nature and the organization’s attempts to establish itself as a gatekeeper to Democratic political leaders. Critics argue that the Democrats should invest directly in independent media rather than relying on intermediaries like Chorus.
Read more at Wired here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
