At the time of his remarks earlier this month, McCarthy’s emphasis on a friendship seemed logical. There appeared to be no business relationship between the two men, except for a poll conducted by Luntz in 2000 for yrock.com, which McCarthy started when he was national chairman of the Young Republicans. But Federal Election Commission filings show that the leadership PAC controlled by McCarthy — Majority Committee PAC, or McPAC — paid one of Luntz’s companies, FIL Inc., nearly $40,000 in late 2020, just before McCarthy began renting what he described as a “room” in the recently renovated apartment. On Sept. 25, McCarthy’s Majority Committee PAC paid FIL Inc. $16,850. And on Dec. 17, McPAC paid FIL an additional $21,500. Both payments were reported as for “PAC Polling.” Matt Sparks, McCarthy’s spokesman, said the payments were for surveys, one done in early September and another in early December.