During the recent election cycle in Thousand Oaks, a dispute erupted after Councilmember David Newman contacted a local business owner about a political comment made by one of her employees. According to The Acorn, the incident began when Mustang Marketing employee Jess Weihe, who posts under the name “Anonymous Mommy” on Facebook, criticized Newman’s campaign mailers that highlighted Victor Hayek’s salary and publicly funded position at the Conejo Valley Unified School District.
Weihe described the mailers as “unfair,” writing that they suggested a “paid job” and implied that Hayek, a Lebanese immigrant who moved to the county at age seven, was demanding more tax dollars. Newman interpreted the post as an accusation of anti‑immigrant bias.
On Halloween, Newman sent a group text that included Hayek and Mustang Marketing owner Dianne McKay. In the message, he said his wife, also an immigrant, had shown him the post and framed it as a “business problem” for McKay, alleging that Weihe was “bearing false witness in public statements.” He instructed McKay and Hayek to publicly repudiate the post by 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Weihe, who has worked for Mustang Marketing for ten years and volunteered for Hayek’s campaign, said she tried to contact Newman after receiving the text but received no response. She expressed concern that Newman addressed her political expression through her employer rather than speaking with her directly.
Newman later posted on Facebook on November 6, stating he had no additional comment but apologizing for involving a third party. He said the perceived anti‑immigrant allegation offended him and that he “should not have included this third‑party on this request.” He claimed the request led to “positive and constructive conversations,” though both Weihe and McKay said the apology was insufficient.
McKay warned that the incident could affect Mustang Marketing’s future dealings with the city, noting, “I don’t know if clients are going to not want to work with us because they’re afraid of what might happen.” She also called the publicizing of Hayek’s salary “scurrilous.”
The City Council has not yet taken formal action. At the November 11 council meeting, Newman acknowledged the mistake and apologized but did not name Weihe. Hayek declined to comment.
What’s next: Council members are expected to discuss the matter at an upcoming meeting, and McKay indicated she may request that Newman recuse himself from any future decisions involving Mustang Marketing. The dispute highlights ongoing tension between elected officials and local businesses over political speech.
Sources: toacorn.com
