A once-powerful lobbyist, Jeff Flint, has reemerged in Anaheim politics, now listing the Anaheim Police Association (APA) as his principal client ahead of a contentious city election. Flint was an unnamed but central figure in an FBI corruption probe into a political “cabal” in the city four years ago.
According to minutes from an October 14, 2025, APA executive board meeting, Flint was in attendance as “staff.” The board members discussed a proposed Disney gate tax ballot measure set for debate at council later that month, as well as the 2026 council elections. As the election cycle is in full swing, recent campaign disclosure files show HexaCom Group, Flint’s new Tennessee-based consulting company, receiving more than $18,500 from an APA-sponsored PAC for mailers in support of Councilmember Natalie Rubalcava’s reelection.
Before the FBI probe, Flint became a dominant figure in the city’s political life by 2016. He represented Disneyland as a client, led a mock Anaheim City Council meeting to rehearse a proposed sale of Angel Stadium, discussed secret bonuses on city-approved hotel projects, and scripted a disgraced former mayor’s comments. Referred to in court documents as “Political Consultant 1” and “Co-Schemer 1,” Flint was never accused of wrongdoing in the probe, which led to the convictions of ex-Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, former Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive Todd Ament, and cannabis consultant Melahat Rafiei.
Flint, once a protégé of former Mayor Curt Pringle, counted major corporations and hoteliers as clients. Despite a temporary political setback in the 2016 elections, Flint helped orchestrate pro-resort candidates’ return to power two years later. When revelations from the corruption probe surfaced, Flint’s political operations in Anaheim appeared to implode, and he took a leave of absence as chief executive of his former company, Core Strategic Group. Anaheim’s lobbyist registry showed Flint’s former clients, including developers and hoteliers, terminating services through May 2022, when court documents related to the probe emerged. Flint eventually moved from Orange County to Tennessee, rebranding with HexaCom Group, whose website describes him as “one of the most widely-respected and experienced political and public affairs consultants in the nation.” Outside of Anaheim, HexaCom Group has found political work in other California cities, including San Diego, Newport Beach, South Lake Tahoe, and San Rafael. This June, a successful campaign in San Diego against a proposed tax on vacant homes paid HexaCom Group nearly $630,000 for election work. Two years prior, a campaign in South Lake Tahoe paid his company more than $385,000 to help defeat a proposed tax on second homes.
Flint’s return to Anaheim through the police union has been noted by political observers. Dara Maleki, interim president and chief executive of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, stated that it “shows the deficiencies of reform in our city,” adding, “We leave loopholes for lobbyists like him to find a way back in.” The Chamber named Flint as a defendant in a lawsuit against Ament, accusing both of “self-dealing.” Maleki further stated the Chamber is seeking “justice in bringing the truth out about how these types of schemes happen in cities through trusted organizations.” Jodi Balma, a political science professor at Fullerton College, commented that some organizations “just see Flint as a knowledgeable operator in Anaheim politics,” noting he was not charged. Balma also observed that there are “countless examples of people making extraordinary comebacks” in politics. Flint did not respond to a request for comment and declined to comment when the lawsuit was filed. APA President Jose Duran declined to comment on this story.
The police union’s increased involvement in the current election cycle has drawn attention. The APA recently secured a three-year labor contract with 16% raises. Beyond supporting Councilmember Rubalcava, the union suspended its endorsement of Mayor Ashleigh Aitken. This decision came after Aitken’s chief of staff filed a legal claim against the mayor for allegedly making inappropriate comments. Aitken denied the allegations but admitted to an “unhealthy relationship” with alcohol, and the city has hired an independent probe. Weeks later, the APA’s independent expenditure committee spent roughly $58,000 on polling and mailers opposing Aitken over her alleged conduct. Professor Balma noted that the police union “hasn’t been the biggest player in Anaheim” previously, but now “Flint appears to be directing them to be far more involved.”
The current election cycle has seen several unexpected developments. Disney, which has reliably contributed over a million dollars into every Anaheim election cycle since 2016, has not contributed new money heading into November. Instead, a PAC principally funded by Disney two years ago, “Anaheim Residents, Small Businesses and Public Safety Leaders,” shifted unspent donations from 2024 races to support Mayor Aitken, Councilmembers Carlos Leon, and Natalie Meeks, but not Rubalcava, who championed the failed gate tax effort. Leon and Meeks are running unchallenged, while Rubalcava faces Elia Renteria-Garcia.
