Research finding · Research date 2026-09-18
Way Back address error reportedly changed apparent in-state funding from 95% to 45%; current Wyoming listing verified
Recorded status: Historical error/correction attributed to contemporary reporting; present Wyoming address and 2026 totals verified in official UI; intent unresolved
This is a dated research record. Its qualifications and open questions are part of the account. Association alone does not establish wrongdoing or control.
Newly retrieved historical reporting identifies a concrete geographic-disclosure correction. Sean Dolan's May 18, 2026 EdNews report says five timed contribution reports signed by Gary Raney since February 2024 placed Way Back PAC in Sheridan, Idaho rather than Wyoming. EdNews reports that the PAC acknowledged an error and that Secretary of State staff corrected Sunshine within about two hours of notification. The displayed in-state share reportedly changed from 95% to 45%. This is attributed contemporary reporting, not an independently inspected set of the five original filings or an administrative audit log.
Live primary crosscheck on September 18: Defend and Protect Idaho's Sunshine profile, Filing Year 2026, lists Way Back PAC $350,000, Sheridan, WY; in-state contributions $367,343.02, out-of-state $383,881.56, total $751,224.58, unitemized $0.00. Those current amounts are a later snapshot, not a reproduction of May 18 percentages. All-years view separately lists Way Back $400,000; do not mix that with 2026's $350,000.
Supported conclusion: a reported filing/address error substantially affected public geographic presentation and was acknowledged/corrected. Neither the reporting nor the current profile establishes deliberate falsification, a criminal finding, concealed beneficial ownership, or a Redbird/Cothren connection. Donation geography also does not disclose the ultimate donors behind an intermediary. Preserve the correction and acknowledgment as counterevidence to claims of continuing uncorrected concealment.
Source references
- Group opposing political extremism doubles Idaho election spending — Idaho Education News — Where the money comes from; published May 18, 2026; lines 68–81
- Idaho Sunshine — Defend and Protect Idaho committee profile — Filing Year 2026, Contributions and Top Contributors, inspected September 18, 2026