Lobbyist Michael Esposito has made a fortune during the Trump presidency, while boasting personal connections with the president and his advisers, the Washington Post reports.

Reality check: Esposito claimed to work with the president's son Eric Trump and son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, but they told the Post they've never heard of him. President Trump tweeted that he didn't know the lobbyist.

"I don’t know, to the best of my knowledge, a man named Michael Esposito....." Trump tweeted after the Post's article was published.

"I don’t like him using my name to build his consulting company, or whatever. Please advise his clients and Administration officials accordingly," Trump wrote.

The big picture: Esposito's firm, Federal Advocates, claims he is “an integral part of the senior-most leadership” of the Republican National Committee, according to the Washington Post. Contract bids reviewed by the Post claimed Esposito regularly spoke with Trump.

But the RNC told the Post Esposito has been exaggerating his role, and they sent him a "cease and desist" letter.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the president does not know him, while Eric Trump said Esposito “sounds like someone trying to trade off our name.”

Behind the scenes: Ben Freeman, a director at the Center for International Policy, told the Post lobbying firms can attract business because of "the Trump premium."

“The closer you are to Trump, the more you can charge clients,” Freeman said.

What he's saying: The Post says Esposito declined an interview for the story, and said that he couldn't reveal details of his work with Kushner and Eric Trump because of nondisclosure agreements.