Leading the Future paid $20 million to Nevada shell LLC

The payments to Lantern Production Consultants LLC are not an isolated filing. According to federal campaign finance records reviewed by WIRED, four Nevada-based LLCs have received payments from super PACs in the Leading the Future network, including Think Big and American Mission, which themselves are based in Nevada. Two of those LLCs, Summit Ridge Media Group LLC and Blue Horizon Compliance Consultants, list addresses at a Reno mail center and a Staples location respectively.

The Leading the Future network stands out because it funnels money into super PACs that support both Republicans and Democrats. Think Big overwhelmingly funds Democrats, while American Mission funds Republicans. Election watchdogs argue the LLCs are shell companies designed to mask the identities of strategists, consultants and production companies working with the network. In May, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC alleging that Think Big and American Mission violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by using shell companies and failing to disclose actual recipients of payments.

Leading the Future spokesperson Jesse Hunt told WIRED the network complies with all applicable laws and called the complaint a desperate ploy for attention from Public First, Anthropic and aligned groups. A Public First spokesperson denied involvement, and Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment. WIRED reports the FEC has lacked the four-commissioner quorum needed to decide on a legal complaint since May 2025, so the complaint is unlikely to move soon, while the LLC payments have continued.