California: Bloggers should disclose political pay

In a new twist on political disclosure, California may soon require bloggers to report financing from campaigns.

The proposal, by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, is believed by state election officials here to be the first of its kind in the nation. The election officials are calling for new requirements for blogger contributions from both candidate and ballot initiative campaigns. Current state law requires campaigns to disclose payments to bloggers, but the bloggers are under no obligation to reveal who has given them money. Ann Ravel, chairwoman of the commission, said that initially the disclosure requirement would be voluntary but that such disclosures work best if required by law. She compared the proposal to guidance by the Federal Trade Commission that bloggers praising a product reveal if they are being paid by a company.