Public First (political action committee)
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Public First is a US independent-expenditure-only political committee focused on AI policy. Its website describes a bipartisan effort to elect candidates supporting safeguards and public accountability. The Federal Election Commission identifies it as committee C00930503. It is distinct from Public First Action, the section 501(c)(4) advocacy organization.[1][2][3]
Policy objectives and leadership
The committee's published priorities include children, workers, consumers and the economic consequences of AI. It favors liability when systems cause harm and protection against harmful or insufficiently tested automation. It presents its electoral work as a response to technology-industry spending and an effort to make those concerns more prominent in Congress.[1]
Its website identifies former members of Congress Brad Carson, a Democrat from Oklahoma, and Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah, as leaders. Their roles help explain its stated bipartisan approach, but do not make the committee a congressional body or give it regulatory authority. Its sponsorship notice says its communications are not authorized by a candidate or candidate committee.[1]
Registration and electoral function
The FEC registration date is December 12, 2025. The record reviewed in September 2026 classified the committee as active and reporting quarterly. The FEC identifier distinguishes it from other organizations sharing the words Public First; it is a committee identifier, not a tax identification number.[2][4]
Under the FEC's explanation of super PACs, independent electoral activity may be funded by unlimited contributions from permissible sources, while direct and coordinated contributions to federal candidates are excluded. Registration and amendments identify the committee's officials and relationships. This framework distinguishes support through independent political communications from money a candidate campaign receives and controls.[4]
Financial record through June 2026
The FEC summary for January 1–June 30, 2026 displayed:
- Total receipts: $4,910,450.00.
- Contributions: $3,910,450.00.
- Other receipts: $1,000,000.00.
- Total disbursements: $4,416,899.94.
- Contributions to other committees: $4,340,000.00.
- Ending cash: $493,550.06.[2]
The reporting period is essential: these are not September balances or a total for the associated advocacy ecosystem. Most displayed disbursements were payments to other committees, which should not be counted again as separate new money when a recipient spends them. The FEC's independent-expenditure tab excludes short-notice 24- and 48-hour reports, limiting conclusions drawn from its displayed zero.[2]
Axios reported that Public First's second-quarter fundraising included contributions by Anthropic executives and employees.[5]
Relationship to Public First Action
Public First Action publicly links to this committee and to Jobs and Democracy and Defending Our Values PACs. Those links establish a public connection, not legal control or consolidated accounts.[3]
Anthropic's July 2026 announcement concerns restricted support for Public First Action, not this committee.[6]
Individual contributions must be attributed to the named donor, not automatically to an employer. See Public First Action for its education program and Anthropic for corporate advocacy.[2]
Related articles
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Public First PAC, Official Website. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 FEC, Public First, C00930503, financial summary January 1–June 30, 2026. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Public First Action, Official Website. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 FEC, Registering as a Super PAC. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- ↑ Maria Curi, Pro-AI Super PAC Keeps $31M Ready for the Midterms, Axios, July 17, 2026. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- ↑ Anthropic, Donating Another $20 Million to Public First Action, July 21, 2026. Accessed September 12, 2026.