During the November 2026 election week, Thousand Oaks Councilmember David Newman became the focus of a local controversy after he contacted Mustang Marketing owner Dianne McKay about a Facebook post made by the firm’s employee, Jess Weihe. Weihe, who posts under the name “Anonymous Mommy,” criticized Newman’s campaign mailer that highlighted opponent Victor Hayek’s salary and his publicly funded position at the Conejo Valley Unified School District.
Employee’s criticism labeled as unfair
Weihe described the mailer as portraying Hayek’s paid job as a burden on taxpayers, writing, “The crux of the entire mailer is: ‘He has a paid job and now he wants more of our tax dollars.’” She also accused Newman of targeting a Lebanese immigrant who moved to the county at age seven, suggesting the councilmember’s message implied that an immigrant who works hard is a problem.
Newman’s text to the business owner
On Halloween, Newman sent a group text that included McKay, Hayek, and himself. In the message he said his wife, also an immigrant, had shown him the post and framed it as a business issue for Mustang Marketing. He asked McKay to have the firm publicly repudiate the post by 9 a.m. Sunday, calling Weihe’s statements “false witness” and “made‑up charges” that could damage the business, himself, and Hayek.
Newman wrote, “As much as I believe Jess lives in a magical world where everything is always someone else’s fault, I want to reiterate that I bear you no ill will.” He added that the employee’s comments were “bad for everyone, me, Victor and for you, that is the root problem.”
Response and apology
After the text became public, Weihe attempted to reach Newman but received no reply. She expressed concern that Newman treated her personal political expression as a “business problem” and warned her employer rather than speaking directly with her.
Newman later posted on Facebook that he was offended by the perceived anti‑immigrant allegation and that involving McKay was a mistake. He apologized, saying, “It was a mistake for me to include this third‑party on this request, a mistake I acknowledge and for which I apologize. While I have learned my lesson and would not do that again, my request for repudiation did lead to some positive and constructive conversations.”
Business owner’s worries
McKay, who has employed Weihe for a decade, said the incident could jeopardize Mustang Marketing’s future contracts with the city. She noted that Newman’s failure to name the employee or the firm in his apology left her feeling the apology was insufficient. “I don’t know if clients are going to not want to work with us because they’re afraid of what might happen,” McKay said. “It could really do damage, and if we have to, we’ll ask him to recuse himself and feel like he isn’t going to give us a fair shot.”
Council’s next steps
The city council has not yet taken formal action on the matter. At the November 11 council meeting, Newman acknowledged his mistake and apologized, but did not mention Weihe by name. Hayek declined to comment for this story.
This episode joins a pattern of elected officials contacting an employee’s employer over political speech. In 2018, former Conejo Valley School Board trustee Mike Dunn similarly contacted McKay about comments made by Weihe, resulting in a board censure.
Local observers note that while councilmembers have a duty to protect the integrity of campaign communications, they must also respect constitutional free‑speech rights and avoid using their official position to pressure private businesses. The incident underscores the delicate balance between political advocacy and the rights of employees and local businesses to express opinions without fear of retaliation.
Original reporting: Thousand Oaks Acorn — read the source article.
