In June, IREHR uncovered that the newly announced executive director of the MAHA Institute had an extensive history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories. In “Make America Hate Again,” IREHR documented how MAHA Institute director Leland Lehrman has declared that the antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion is true, that germ theory is false, and that 9-11 was an inside job.
In addition to his job at the MAHA Institute, it turns out that Lehrman is also getting paid by another Make America Healthy Again group. Campaign finance data shows that this year, Lehrman has been paid $8,000 by MAHA PAC, the hybrid political action committee (PAC) that supported Robert F. Kennedy’s 2024 presidential run.
The MAHA PAC 2025 mid-year report filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 31 shows Lehrman was paid $7,000 on March 26, 2025, and $1,000 on May 29, 2025, from a MAHA PAC noncontribution account.[1]
MAHA PAC Payment to Leland Lehrman
MAHA PAC has been renamed several times. When it was founded in July 2022, the PAC was originally called People’s Pharma Movement.[2] It changed the name to American Values 2024 in April 2023.[3] It started transitioning to MAHA PAC in May 2025, when it was known as American Values 2024, AKA MAHA PAC.[4] Less than a month later, it became just MAHA PAC.[5]
Both the MAHA Institute and MAHA PAC are now controlled by Tony Lyons, of Skyhorse Publishing (which, in addition to publishing several anti-vaccine tracts, now owns the far-right imprint Regnery Publishing), and Mark Gorton, the creator of the file-sharing application LimeWire.
John Gilmore, executive director of the anti-vaccine Autism Action Network, who also worked with the New York chapter of RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, was listed as the original treasurer of the PAC.[6] He was replaced by Tony Lyons in August 2023.[7]
MAHA PAC has not responded to IREHR’s request for comment regarding Lehrman’s involvement with the PAC.
NOTES
[1] FEC FORM 3X: Report of Receipts and Disbursements for Other than an Authorized Committee. MAHA PAC. July 31, 2025. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/660/202507319779696660/202507319779696660.pdf.[2] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. People’s Pharma Movement. July 26, 2022. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/467/202207269525065467/202207269525065467.pdf.
[3] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. Amendment. American Values 2024. April 11, 2024. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/903/202304129579869903/202304129579869903.pdf.
[4] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. Amendment. American Values 2024 AKA MAHA PAC. May 13, 2025. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/122/202505239761680122/202505239761680122.pdf.
[5] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. Amendment. MAHA PAC. June 22, 2025. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/311/202506229762526311/202506229762526311.pdf.
[6] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. People’s Pharma Movement. July 26, 2022. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/467/202207269525065467/202207269525065467.pdf.
[7] [7] FEC FORM 1: Statement of Organization. Amendment. American Values 2024. August 22, 2023. https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/697/202308239596763697/202308239596763697.pdf.
