A major Democratic-aligned dark money group is reportedly providing financial backing for a program paying social media influencers to promote progressive messaging, according to a report published Wednesday by WIRED.
The program, known as the Chorus Creator Incubator Program, is operated by Chorus, the nonprofit arm of the influencer marketing firm Good Influence.
According to WIRED, influencers participating in the program could receive payments of up to $8,000 per month.
Remember that kids' content creator Arielle Fodor, aka "Mrs. Frazzled."
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) August 28, 2025
Turns out she's getting paid up to $8K per month to shill Democrat Party propaganda to kids by dark money group "The Sixteen Thirty Fund." https://t.co/L2IXOPMbz6 pic.twitter.com/1yXplDWrWH
The program is funded by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that is one of the largest backers of Democratic-aligned causes.
In June, dozens of influencers with a combined audience of more than 13 million were contacted about joining the program, which was pitched as a way to “expand their reach and impact.” The Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is managed by consulting firm Arabella Advisors, reported that four anonymous donors provided nearly two-thirds of its 2023 revenue, according to tax filings.
Arabella Advisors and Alex Soros are one and the same and Arabella Advisors control billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars and have for many years.
— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) August 27, 2025
Examine this chart for a few seconds. These are organizations allegedly linked to this group. @SecScottBessent @SecRubio… https://t.co/mflCJdhaNK pic.twitter.com/CVrsGIoznF
Campaign finance records show the group funneled millions of dollars into Democratic super PACs during the 2024 election cycle.
In a Zoom call with potential participants, a lawyer working with Chorus told influencers that the nonprofit model provided advantages for fundraising while limiting disclosure requirements.
“It gives us the ability to raise money from donors,” the lawyer said in a recording reviewed by WIRED.
“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.”
Documents reviewed by WIRED suggest influencers were restricted in how they could describe their participation.
Contracts barred participants from disclosing their relationship with Chorus or the Sixteen Thirty Fund and prohibited them from revealing they were being paid.
They also required prior written approval from Chorus before creating content explicitly supporting or opposing a political candidate or campaign.
Additionally, participants were allegedly required to inform Chorus if they independently arranged meetings with government officials or political leaders.
Influencers named in communications about the program included Olivia Julianna, a Gen Z activist who spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention; Loren Piretra, a podcaster affiliated with Occupy Democrats; Suzanne Lambert, who identifies online as a “Regina George liberal”; and Sander Jennings, the brother of reality television figure Jazz Jennings.
JUST IN: Olivia Julianna, failed former DNC male youth outreach coordinator, is facing backlash from her own followers after revelations that she pocketed $8,000 a month from dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund to push scripted talking points. pic.twitter.com/AniJ81VeSm
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) August 28, 2025
Chorus confirmed the program’s existence but rejected the characterization of its contracts reported by WIRED.
“Chorus is disappointed about the misinformation being posted about this program and that WIRED did not fact check a piece authored by someone with such a clear axe to grind with Chorus,” a spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The piece is misleading and riddled with factual inaccuracies about the program. Every creator working with Chorus has always been free and encouraged to talk about their work with Chorus if they want to do so. Creators who work with Chorus are also free to independently engage in whatever content they want or as part of any other partnership that they would like to take on.”
The statement did not address whether contracts included nondisclosure requirements as described by WIRED. Chorus did not respond to additional requests for clarification.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund also confirmed its relationship with the program, describing it as a fiscal sponsorship arrangement.
“Sixteen Thirty Fund’s work with Chorus is limited to our role as a fiscal sponsor. When Sixteen Thirty Fund (STF) fiscally sponsors a project, STF receives funding on behalf of the project and provides it with operational and administrative support,” a spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The spokesperson added: “Chorus is doing crucial work to spread a pro-democracy message to Americans. Creators working with Chorus have always been encouraged to talk about their involvement in the program. Chorus creators are not paid to support candidates, but they are free to do so in their own time.”
The arrangement highlights the ongoing role of dark money groups in funding political messaging efforts, particularly those targeting younger audiences through online platforms.
A new study has uncovered over $100,000,000 in foreign dark money laundered into the US political system via the Sixteen Thirty Fund pushing far left ballot initiatives in 25 states.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 15, 2025
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
It's time to ban foreign election interference. pic.twitter.com/SDCrD0LEfY
