August 20, 2026
Ian Weiss was featured in the New York Post discussing the legal implications of allegations that a California lobbyist used inflated or inaccurate claims about his record of securing government funding to obtain taxpayer-funded contracts.
The article examines allegations involving Jaime Rojas, president of Rojas Public Affairs, whose promotional materials claimed millions of dollars in state and federal funding secured for various public agencies. Several agencies and officials cited in those materials disputed Rojas’ involvement or the amounts attributed to his firm, while Rojas maintained that his firm performed legitimate advocacy work and acknowledged that some of the claims contained errors.
Ian provides insight into the legal issues that can arise when representations are allegedly used to induce a public entity to enter into a contract. He explains that federal and California law prohibit obtaining taxpayer-funded contracts through false pretenses.
“Even if you did a perfectly good job lobbying under the contract, you still committed fraud because you tricked them into hiring you in the first place,” Ian tells the Post.
The article also explores the distinction between permissible business “puffery” and representations that could potentially constitute fraud, as well as the importance of accurate disclosures when public agencies are evaluating consultants who will be paid with taxpayer funds.
Read the full article in the New York Post here.
Ian Weiss is counsel at Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP and is a trial and appellate attorney with extensive experience litigating complex commercial disputes in arbitration, federal court, New York’s Commercial Division, and other state courts across the country. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers® as a New York Metro Rising Star, by Best Lawyers as among the “Ones to Watch” in insurance law, and by Lawdragon as a member of the Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation.