(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Those social media influencers pushing Democratic talking points? They may have been paid off by a shady group funded by dark money.
A secretive group called Chorus has paid influencers as much as $8,000 each in exchange for pro-Democrat videos, according to bombshell WIRED reporting.
WIRED reported Wednesday that the operation, dubbed “Chorus Creator Incubator Program,” is funded by none other than the Sixteen Thirty Fund—a non-profit that has funneled hundreds of millions in pro-leftist causes.
A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencershttps://t.co/71ke0uXSqw by @taylorlorenz
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) August 28, 2025
Founded in 2009, the group is a “liberal response to conservative dark money groups and organizations like the Koch network,” according to WIRED. As a 501(c)(3), the group is not required to disclose its donors, who conveniently get tax breaks for their partisan donations.
Some of the influencers tied to the operation boast a combined 13 million followers across Big Tech platforms. This number is much higher as over 90 creators are making Democrat-friendly content for cash.
The money-for-videos scheme is shocking. After years of railing against so-called dark money, the left is now eagerly cashing in without even knowing who’s footing the bill.
Worse, Chorus allegedly forbade the influencers from publicly speaking of the operation or even disclosing to their followers that they are being paid by shady money.
These influencers also must seek prior approval before posting political videos or interviewing lawmakers. This is likely to ensure that the content is in line with approved talking points.
WIRED reported the group even boasted about bypassing Federal Election Commission rules by concealing payments through a non-profit entity, all while working to elect Democrats.
“There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit,” Chorus lawyer Graham Wilson reportedly said in a Zoom meeting. “It gives us the ability to raise money from donors. It also, with this structure, it avoids a lot of the public disclosure or public disclaimers—you know, ‘Paid for by blah blah blah blah’—that you see on political ads. We don’t need to deal with any of that. Your names aren’t showing up on, like, reports filed with the FEC.”
The operation has been active for several weeks, following Democrats’ humiliating defeat in the 2024 election, as President Donald Trump dominated independent podcasts and online shows. The difference is he didn’t have to pay for it.
As summarized by WIRED, among the influencers are “Olivia Julianna, the centrist Gen Z influencer who spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention; Loren Piretra, a former Playboy executive turned political influencer who hosts a podcast for Occupy Democrats; Barrett Adair, a content creator who runs an American Girl Doll–themed pro-DNC meme account; Suzanne Lambert, who has called herself a ‘Regina George liberal;’ Arielle Fodor, an education creator with 1.4 million followers on TikTok; Sander Jennings, a former TLC reality star and older brother of trans influencer Jazz Jennings; David Pakman, who hosts an independent progressive show on YouTube covering news and politics; Leigh McGowan, who goes by the online moniker ‘Politics Girl’; and dozens of others.”
Chorus co-founder and social media personality Brian Tyler Cohen issued the following video in response to the backlash, describing the operation as nothing but a “scholarship” program:
Some people have questions about the creator scholarship program I co-founded, Chorus, so let’s talk about it. https://t.co/JkDYyXMYxb pic.twitter.com/f3LPD1a093
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 28, 2025
