Current 2026 Idaho First is steered by Richard Johnson and used Targeted Platform Media for Boise political advertising

The current 2026 Idaho First committee now has a primary-source local steering and vendor identification. A May 2026 FCC non-candidate issue-ad agreement for KBOI-TV identifies Idaho First at PO Box 334, Boise, ID 83701, lists Richard Johnson as the organization contact, and lists Richard Johnson as the only chief executive/officer/executive-committee/board or other governing-group member disclosed on the form. The form is signed by Johnson. The same FCC record identifies Targeted Platform Media LLC as the agency requesting station time, with Cathie Herrick as contact. KTVB/KBOI contracts separately show Targeted Platform Media placing Idaho First issue advertising in the Boise market during May 2026. On the funding side, FEC-derived Way Back PAC reporting for Apr. 1–Jun. 3, 2026 reports a $100,000 payment to Idaho First; contemporaneous Idaho reporting says Hometown Heroes contributed $45,000 and Take Back Idaho PAC $6,000 to Idaho First. Current 2026 reporting also documents Idaho First making candidate-specific independent expenditures, including spending to oppose a District 31 candidate and appearing among PACs supporting other legislative candidates. This establishes a concrete Idaho handoff: national/federal PAC money and Idaho PAC money reach an Idaho committee whose disclosed governing person is Richard Johnson, while a national political media-buying firm, Targeted Platform Media, places its Boise broadcast advertising. It does NOT establish that Way Back, Western Futures, Hometown Heroes, Take Back Idaho, or Targeted Platform Media selected Idaho First’s individual candidate targets or controlled Johnson’s committee decisions. Identity firewall: an older Idaho First PAC active in the 2017–2018 cycle used different officers and was later terminated; current 2026 Idaho First must remain a separate node unless corporate/committee continuity is independently proved.