To: Les H who wrote (48075 ) 10/1/2025 5:18:53 PM From: Les H Read Replies (1) | Respond to It is likely that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) or its affiliates pay influencers, although direct evidence is limited and transparency regulations are weak. The practice of paying influencers to shape political discourse is a growing trend, and AIPAC has a history of investing heavily in advertising to influence public opinion. Political marketing campaigns: A September 2025 report from The Jewish Chronicle described a case where an anti-Israel activist posed as an AIPAC representative to target influencers, suggesting they had been paid by the organization.Wider pro-Israel spending: In December 2023, a Politico analysis showed that pro-Israel advocacy groups, including those aligned with AIPAC, vastly outspent pro-Palestinian groups on Facebook and Instagram ads. This demonstrated a widespread effort to use social media to influence younger Americans.Broader foreign influence campaigns: A June 2024 New York Times article reported that Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs paid a political marketing firm to conduct an influence campaign targeting U.S. lawmakers. While AIPAC was not named as part of this specific effort, the report indicates that paid influencer campaigns are a tactic used by pro-Israel actors.Affiliated group spending: AIPAC's affiliated Super PAC, the United Democracy Project, has spent millions on political advertising to target candidates perceived as critical of Israel. While these funds are primarily used for traditional political ads, this spending demonstrates the use of a wide range of advertising methods to advance pro-Israel messaging. FEC loophole: In 2024, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) determined that payments to content creators for political messaging were not subject to the same disclosure rules as traditional advertising. This has created a loophole where paid political endorsements can go unreported.Mixed messaging: The lack of required disclosure makes it difficult for social media users to distinguish between an influencer's genuine opinion and a paid endorsement. This helps explain why evidence of direct payments to influencers is scarce.
