A West Texas business owner has publicly accused Jeff Davis County officials of contributing to the closure of one of the region’s most well-known tourism destinations, citing what he described as ongoing hostility, false accusations, and a culture of protecting local officials from accountability.
Carl Haugen, owner of the Fort Davis Drug Store and Hotel, made the remarks in an email reply sent July 2025 to Jeff Davis County elected officials and community leaders. Haugen’s response came after Big Bend Times publisher David Flash emailed county officials about Jeff Davis County’s inclusion in the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker for the forcible removal and arrest of Flash while covering a public meeting on June 27, 2025.
In his message, Haugen wrote that “the threats and false accusations from county officials have directly contributed to the closure of a business that corrupt Judge Lueduke called ‘the most important business in town.’” He went on to state that the damage caused by county actions had harmed his family, local tourism, and the community as a whole.
Haugen also alleged that county law enforcement “cover up the crimes of long-time residents and county officials,” that grant funds are “mysteriously vanishing into the void,” and that a sheriff’s deputy told him two officers were fired for “creating too much paperwork.”
“It’s really inspiring to see law enforcement take such a bold stand — not for justice, of course, but against paper clutter,” Haugen wrote in a sarcastic reference to Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Department priorities.
The Fort Davis Drug Store, a historic property with roots dating back more than a century, has been closed since 2023 due to a combination of factors, including a labor shortage and the death of one of its owners. Haugen and his family purchased the property in 2022, investing in renovations to both the restaurant and the upstairs hotel rooms. The hotel remains in operation.
Flash’s original email to county officials linked to the Press Freedom Tracker entry, which states that video and witness accounts show he was quietly recording and photographing the June 27 commissioners court meeting from where he had been instructed to set up, when a sheriff’s deputy confronted him and used physical force to remove and handcuff him. The charge of disorderly conduct against Flash was dropped the following month.
