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In a recorded interview with prosecutors from the Texas Office of the Attorney General, Jeff Davis County Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke admitted she and other local officials actively discussed using Disney music to sabotage videos recorded by a local journalist—not to stop harassment, but to avoid public accountability.
The conversation, revealed in a January 2025 interview with OAG prosecutors, centered on how to prevent the public from hearing or seeing what officials said during encounters with Big Bend Times publisher David Flash.
According to Luedecke, the suggestion came from the Brewster County District Attorney’s office—not a law enforcement agency, but a prosecutor’s office.
“If he comes in here and he’s videotaping you, play something Disney and it’ll scramble it,” Luedecke recalled being told.
Rather than dismiss the idea, Luedecke and County Attorney Glen Eisen embraced it.
“I thought, really? That’s my best defense?” Luedecke said. “So I thought, okay, I’ll play Lady and the Tramp. Glenn Eisen said he was going to play Dumbo.”
The Truth About the Disney Music “Defense”
The suggestion reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of how copyright enforcement works. Playing Disney music during a video recording does not “scramble” footage. What it can do is trigger automated copyright detection systems on platforms like Facebook or YouTube. This may result in a copyright claim, muting of the audio, or demonetization—but only if the person posting the video had been trying to earn money from it.
That strategy has occasionally been used by individuals trying to disrupt livestreamers or so-called “First Amendment auditors,” a genre of content creators who seek out confrontations with public officials and depend on monetized content to drive views and income.
But that approach does not apply to Big Bend Times or its publisher.
Flash has repeatedly emphasized that he does not monetize video content and does not seek viral moments of confrontation. The inclusion of video in Big Bend Times reporting is for transparency and public documentation, not profit.
“They can play all the copyrighted music they want,” Flash said. “I don’t monetize any videos. I just record so they can’t lie about me later. If the public sees them trying to obstruct the press with Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp, that only shows who they really are.”
Manufactured Threats and False Narratives
The strategy to undermine Flash’s reporting did not stop with music.
Sheriff Ronnie Dodson of neighboring Brewster County personally told Flash about the internal chatter—after Flash legally purchased a firearm from Dodson’s gun store. Flash later referenced the purchase in a Facebook Live video, sharing what he had been told about the county’s behind-the-scenes efforts to stop him from reporting—along with the previous day’s attempt by Luedecke to have him falsely arrested.
That video showed Flash speaking calmly and professionally. He was not threatening anyone—only recounting events and protecting himself.
Still, county officials appear to have invested significant energy into casting Flash as a dangerous figure, rather than a credentialed journalist covering public meetings and courthouse operations.
Local Journalism, Not Provocation
Despite being mislabeled by local officials as a “First Amendment auditor,” Flash has consistently operated as a traditional journalist. He holds a Master of Science in Digital Audience Strategy from Arizona State University and founded Big Bend Times and Texas Reporter to deliver high-quality, independent reporting in undercovered areas of Texas.
He is not part of the auditor movement. He does not approach public officials seeking confrontation. But he does keep a camera rolling when reporting at government buildings—because, as this case demonstrates, public officials have shown a willingness to twist the truth.
“I never tried to ‘get’ anyone on video,” Flash said. “I just kept recording while doing my job so they couldn’t lie about what happened. Turns out, that was a good idea.”
Today, Big Bend Times continues to cover Jeff Davis County and the broader Big Bend region—even after Flash was forced to relocate for his safety. Though based elsewhere, he and his team continue to deliver more in-depth coverage of local government than any other outlet in the region.
And if officials still think playing Dumbo in the background is a strategy for avoiding scrutiny, it says far more about them than about the press they’re trying to silence.
