Official 2026 ledger shows Defend and Protect paid both Hulsen and Redbird in the same campaign window

Deduplicating the official Idaho Sunshine CSV by Transaction Id yields 18 Redbird transactions totaling $627,302 and three Hulsen Media Services transactions totaling $95,414. Defend and Protect Idaho paid Hulsen $77,194 on 04/30 for broadcast advertising, $16,420 on 05/05 for broadcast advertising, and $1,800 on 05/05 for ad preparation/production. It then paid Redbird heavily during the same primary window: $42,549 on 04/24; $12,500 total on 05/01; $20,078 on 05/04; $274,000 across six separate transactions on 05/08; $110,000 on 05/13; $98,725 across three transactions on 05/15; and $30,000 for management services on 07/08. Other Redbird payors were Hometown Heroes ($17,700), Magic Valley Voter Action ($7,750), and Idaho First ($14,000). Critical distinction: the state ledger treats Redbird and Hulsen as separate payees at separate addresses, even though the KIVI FCC form names Commercial Space Experts at Hulsen's Austin address as the agency. This supports a multi-vendor or subcontracting/pass-through hypothesis but does not establish that Redbird transferred money to Hulsen or that any payment was improper. Invoices, station contracts, and bank records are needed to determine deliverables and money flow.