Sixteen Thirty Fund Secretly Pays Influencers Up to $8,000 A Month to Push Democrat Party Messaging, Report Shows
Dozens of prominent liberal influencers began receiving mysterious invitations to join an exclusive program that promised to “expand their reach and impact.” The opportunity seemed almost too good to be true – substantial monthly payments to continue doing what they were already doing: promoting progressive causes online. These weren’t random content creators; they included some of the biggest names in Democrat social media circles, collectively commanding audiences of tens of millions.
What these influencers discovered was the Chorus Creator Incubator Program, a secretive initiative funded by The Sixteen Thirty Fund – one of the most powerful dark money organizations in Democrat politics. The program offered payments ranging from $250 to $8,000 per month, but the money came with strings attached that would make even seasoned political operatives uncomfortable. Contracts explicitly prohibited creators from disclosing their funding relationships, mandated approval for political content, and required all meetings with politicians to go through Chorus handlers.
“There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit,” Wilson said to creators on a Zoom call reviewed by WIRED. “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.”
Let that sink in. While lecturing us about transparency, they’re literally bragging about dodging disclosure laws. A lawyer working with a program that claims to be “spreading a pro-democracy message” is celebrating their ability to circumvent federal requirements. This isn’t some conspiracy theory – it’s their stated strategy, recorded and documented.
The scope is staggering. Over 90 influencers were set to participate, reaching a combined audience of more than 40 million followers. Names include Olivia Julianna, who spoke at the Democrat National Convention; education influencer Arielle Fodor, known as “Mrs. Frazzled,” who creates content viewed by children; and dozens of other prominent voices across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These creators signed contracts that essentially turned them into secret political operatives while maintaining the facade of independent commentary.
What these influencers discovered was the Chorus Creator Incubator Program, a secretive initiative funded by The Sixteen Thirty Fund – one of the most powerful dark money organizations in Democrat politics. The program offered payments ranging from $250 to $8,000 per month, but the money came with strings attached that would make even seasoned political operatives uncomfortable. Contracts explicitly prohibited creators from disclosing their funding relationships, mandated approval for political content, and required all meetings with politicians to go through Chorus handlers.
“There are some real great advantages to … housing this program in a nonprofit,” Wilson said to creators on a Zoom call reviewed by WIRED. “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.”
Let that sink in. While lecturing us about transparency, they’re literally bragging about dodging disclosure laws. A lawyer working with a program that claims to be “spreading a pro-democracy message” is celebrating their ability to circumvent federal requirements. This isn’t some conspiracy theory – it’s their stated strategy, recorded and documented.
The scope is staggering. Over 90 influencers were set to participate, reaching a combined audience of more than 40 million followers. Names include Olivia Julianna, who spoke at the Democrat National Convention; education influencer Arielle Fodor, known as “Mrs. Frazzled,” who creates content viewed by children; and dozens of other prominent voices across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These creators signed contracts that essentially turned them into secret political operatives while maintaining the facade of independent commentary.
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