Vendor Contracts & Donor Connections

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Government Vendors and the Officials Who Approved Their Contracts

Every year, local governments award hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to private vendors. Some of those vendors also donate to the campaigns of the elected officials who vote to approve those same contracts. This page documents where both things are true.

Methodology

This analysis cross-references government agenda items (contract approvals, amendments, and awards) against campaign contribution records filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission. A connection is recorded when: (1) a vendor or its affiliated entity donated to an official's committee, and (2) that same official voted “yes” on an agenda item involving that vendor. Vendor names are matched using fuzzy name matching against the donor database; only matches scoring ≥ 88 out of 100 are included. This analysis does not allege illegality — these are disclosed, legal transactions. The pattern documented here is one voters can weigh for themselves.

vendor-donors matched

officials with overlaps

vote–donation pairs

$104,950

donated by contract vendors

Andrew Do

supervisor, District 1 · County of Orange

$51,500

from contract vendors

Maximus

$6,950 donated · 5 contributions · last Oct 2023

Voted yes

Approve amendme nt 1 to agreement WRR1015-A1 with MAXIMUS Human Services, Inc. for case

March 9, 2021·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Maximus

$6,950 donated · 5 contributions · last Oct 2023

Voted yes

Approve contract WMR1022 with Maximus US Services, Inc. for case managemen t services, 7/1/22 -

May 24, 2022·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

RMV PA3 Development, LLC

$6,400 donated · 4 contributions · last Jun 2021

Voted yes

Approve Final Tract Map 17934; approve subdivision improvement agreement S24-011015 with RMV

October 22, 2024·Source agenda

Donald Wagner

supervisor, District 3 · County of Orange

$24,200

from contract vendors

RMV PA3 Development, LLC

$4,100 donated · 2 contributions · last Aug 2019

Voted yes

Approve Final Tract Map 17934; approve subdivision improvement agreement S24-011015 with RMV

October 22, 2024·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

RMV PA3 Development, LLC

$4,100 donated · 2 contributions · last Aug 2019

Voted yes

Approve Implementation Agreement with RMV PA3 Development, LLC and DMB

March 25, 2025·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

RMV PA3 Development, LLC

$4,100 donated · 2 contributions

Katrina Foley

supervisor, District 5 · County of Orange

$10,900

from contract vendors

Sukut Construction, LLC(Michael Crawford)

$2,700 donated · 1 contribution · last Oct 2025

Voted yes

Award contract MA-299-24010124 to Sukut Construction, LLC for Zone 4 Phase A Mass Excavation

September 26, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Sukut Construction, LLC(Michael Crawford)

$2,700 donated · 1 contribution · last Oct 2025

Voted yes

Award contract MA-299-23010806 to Sukut Construction, LLC for Olinda Alpha Landfill Gas Header

February 28, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Cabco Yellow, Inc

$2,000 donated · 5 contributions

Lisa Bartlett

supervisor, District 5 · County of Orange

$7,700

from contract vendors

Griffin Structures, Inc.

$2,500 donated · 3 contributions · last Jun 2018

Voted yes

Approve increase to Master Development Budget Guarantee Maximum Price of the Development

September 13, 2022·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Maximus

$2,100 donated · 1 contribution · last Nov 2019

Voted yes

Approve amendme nt 1 to agreement WRR1015-A1 with MAXIMUS Human Services, Inc. for case

March 9, 2021·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Maximus

$2,100 donated · 1 contribution

Vicente Sarmiento

Supervisor, District 2 · County of Orange

$5,450

from contract vendors

Townsend Public Affairs

$2,700 donated · 2 contributions · last May 2025

Voted yes

Approve contract MA-017-24010544 with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. for Federal

November 28, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 100/100

BAT NHA Meditation Institute of the United States of America

$1,000 donated · 1 contribution · last May 2022

Voted yes

Approve amendment 2 to agreements FMK 1520-A2 and

April 11, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Swinerton Builders

$500 donated · 2 contributions

Doug Chaffee

Supervisor, District 4 · County of Orange

$3,950

from contract vendors

Townsend Public Affairs

$2,450 donated · 2 contributions · last Dec 2022

Voted yes

Approve contract MA-017-24010544 with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. for Federal

November 28, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 100/100

Cabco Yellow, Inc

$500 donated · 1 contribution · last Feb 2022

Voted yes

Approve amendment 2 to renew contract MA-042

March 14, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 92/100

Cabco Yellow, Inc

$500 donated · 1 contribution · last Feb 2022

Voted yes

Thai Viet Phan

Council Member, Ward 1 · City of Santa Ana

$1,000

from contract vendors

Townsend Public Affairs

$1,000 donated · 1 contribution · last Jun 2021

Voted yes

Approve contract MA-017-24010544 with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. for Federal

November 28, 2023·Source agenda·Match score 100/100

Janet Nguyen

Supervisor, District 1 · County of Orange

$250

from contract vendors

Swinerton Builders

$250 donated · 1 contribution · last Jun 2025

Voted yes

Award contract MA-280-25011401 to Swinerton Builders for construction services, Airport Power

September 23, 2025·Source agenda·Match score 100/100

Data sources: NetFile (OC County, Orange County city portals), CAL-ACCESS (California Secretary of State), public meeting agendas and minutes.

Agenda items span OC Board of Supervisors meetings 2018–2026. Contributions cover all filings in the audit window. Vendor name fuzzy matching uses token-sorted Levenshtein distance; only matches ≥ 88/100 confidence are shown.