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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Two senators are seeking answers from Kalshi and Polymarket over influencer posts tied to elections.
- They question whether the posts could lead to election misinformation.
Two US senators are pressing prediction market operators Kalshi and Polymarket over paid influencer posts tied to election-related content.
The letter raises fresh political scrutiny for a sector already under the microscope as the midterms approach.
Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Sen. Mark Warner sent a letter to both platforms questioning whether their marketing practices could contribute to election misinformation. The development matters because it puts congressional attention on how these operators promote political markets, not just how the markets themselves function.
Senators cite paid posts tied to election claims
According to the letter, the senators are concerned that Kalshi and Polymarket paid social media influencers who were willing to promote unreliable election information.
The senators wrote:
“We are seriously alarmed that your marketing strategy includes paying numerous social media influencers willing to espouse unreliable information on elections.”
The letter says some influencers promoted false claims about widespread fraud in US federal elections and referenced July “paid partnership” posts, including posts by former Congressman Matt Gaetz, that linked to Polymarket and Kalshi charts related to the SAVE Act.
Some of those posts on X were later removed for violating the platform’s policies.
Padilla and Warner said they are concerned the platforms may be “subsidizing – and amplifying – social media influencers who echo President Trump’s baseless attacks and sow distrust in American elections.”
They urged both companies to re-evaluate those relationships before the midterm elections.
What the senators want from Kalshi and Polymarket
The lawmakers asked the companies for information on their paid influencer contracts and broader strategy, their policies for influencers who post about elections, whether they treat disinformation as fraudulent conduct, and how they vet paid influencers.
In the letter’s closing remarks, the senators said the platforms should “immediately terminate any existing relationships with those who spread election misinformation, disinformation, or undermine the integrity of US elections.”
Padilla has also recently backed election-focused legislation, including the SHIELD Our Elections Act last month and the FAIR Elections Act in June with Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Based on reporting by Maxwell Valva for KRCR ABC7.
