Who’s really behind the candidates running in our elections?
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This is going to be a short letter this week, as I’ve been focused on some “follow the money” exercises in my local area.
And when I say “local area,” I mean that the election – Thousand Oaks City Council – is local, but the money coming in to fund it is stretching all over California and from across the country.
One of the candidates we’re campaigning against got money from two PACs with kind-of weird sounding names – Neighbors United and Californians for a Better Future. [1]
If you are suspicious about these benign sounding names, you’re right, so let’s dig into who funding these committees.
[By the way, this candidate also accepted money from a contributor who listed his occupation as “Developer” – so if we want to know which candidate the land developers want to win, here’s how we know…] [2]
So, regarding these committees, Neighbors United is listed as being from Grand Terrace, CA – a city in San Bernardino County. [3]
It turns out that a firm operating in this county – Highland Fairview – gave $25,000 to Neighbors United a few weeks ago, which is nearly all of the money that this committee has received. So, these “neighbors” feel more like it’s just one “neighbor.” [4]
The other committee called Californians for a Better Future is listed at being out of Irvine. And Highland Fairview has given $49,000 to this PAC. [5]
So, one company gave nearly $75,000 to two PACs, and each of these PACs sent max contributions to the same Thousand Oaks city council candidate. Hmmmm….
So, let’s ask two more questions.
#1 - Who is Highland Fairview? According to their website, it is a “full-service real estate development company specializing in large scale Industrial, Commercial and Residential developments.” [6]
a “development company”
#2 - Why is this company contributing heavily to two benign-sounding but mysterious committees to fund a city council candidate in Thousand Oaks?
That’s the very large dollar question.
There are more connections here
This Thousand Oaks candidate also just happens to use the same political consulting firm as Californians for a Better Future for its literature. [7][8]
Californians for a Better Future has also received money from: [9]
Building Industry Association of Southern California
The owner of the agribusiness - considered to be world’s largest tomato processor - based near Sacramento
Saticoy Development Company
Plus, interestingly major contributions from the Oxnard city treasurer and the wife of an Oxnard city council member
A $5,000 contributor that only five days later received a $2,000 refund, only for this contributor to give $2,000 a different Thousand Oaks attack committee [10]
For disclosure, I'm serving as treasurer for David Newman who is running for another term on the Thousand Oaks City Council. He is being challenged by the Thousand Oaks candidate I’m mentioning (but I’m choosing not to give SEO the satisfaction of linking to his name…)
If you want to know more, let me know.
Notes and Sources
[1] 2nd pre-election 460, V____ H____ for Council 2026, FPPC ID 1491083, October 22, 2026.
[2] Ibid.
[3] 2nd pre-election 460, Neighbors United, FPPC ID 10012026, October 20, 2026.
[4] 497 Contribution Report, Neighbors United, FPPC ID 10012026, October 1, 2026
[5] 2nd pre-election 460, Californians for a Better Future, FPPC ID 1420444, October 21, 2026.
[6] “Highland Fairview,” retrieved October 24, 2026, https://highlandfairview.com/
[7] 2nd pre-election 460, V____ H____ for Council 2026, FPPC ID 1491083, October 22, 2026.
[8] 2nd pre-election 460, Californians for a Better Future, FPPC ID 1420444, October 21, 2026.
[9] Ibid.
[10] 2nd pre-election 460, Thousand Oaks Together to Oppose David Newman for City Council 2026, FPPC ID 1497914, October 22, 2026.
Decisions with Mic Farris
Seek Truth. Honor Differences.
