California lobbyist's exaggerated funding claims spark fraud concerns over public contracts

Jaime Rojas, president of Rojas Public Affairs and former Clinton-era intern, has obtained monthly contracts from a variety of Southern California public agencies by claiming a track record of securing more than $90 million in state and federal funding. City managers and administrators in Patterson, Bishop, San Miguel Fire District, Hesperia Recreation and Park District, South Gate and Monte Vista Water District all told The California Post that they either never heard of him or could not confirm the amounts he asserted.

Rojas later conceded that some of his proposals confused money that was merely requested or advanced with actual awarded funds, and that several cited projects never received the promised dollars. Attorneys and law professors noted that even successful lobbying does not excuse obtaining contracts through false pretenses, which may breach federal and California fraud statutes. Critics labeled the behavior a "high-end grifter" exploiting taxpayer dollars, and investigations into his conduct are expected to continue.