A Republican candidate for office in Fort Davis who also serves as a campaign officer for another local candidate has been linked to an anonymous website used to harass and smear a local journalist, according to a review of political filings, domain records, and communications obtained by Big Bend Times.
The website, BigBendTimes.org, is not affiliated with Big Bend Times despite its nearly identical name. Instead, it has published a series of anonymous, obsessive posts attacking this publication and its publisher, misrepresenting reporting, recycling personal insults, and attempting to discredit public-interest journalism focused on county government accountability.
Link to a Local Candidate and Campaign Officer
Public campaign finance filings filed with Jeff Davis County show that Jason G. “Jake” Knobloch, a Republican candidate for local office in Fort Davis, is also listed as the campaign treasurer for at least one other Republican candidate in the county, including a current county judge race.
Those filings place Knobloch in a formal political role with fiduciary and reporting responsibilities under Texas election law—while evidence separately links him to the anonymous smear website.
According to communications reviewed by Big Bend Times, the individual behind the site contacted current and former colleagues of publisher David Flash, attempting to solicit negative statements about him. In one instance, the individual offered anonymity “to protect y’all from David’s wrath,” language that mirrors the tone and tactics used throughout the smear site itself.
After a source alerted Big Bend Times to the outreach, the individual’s contact information was obtained and independently verified. That information led to a Fort Davis address matching the one listed in Knobloch’s political filings.
Pattern of Harassment, Not Reporting
The anonymous site does not function as a news outlet. Its posts are unsigned, rambling, and largely focused on personal attacks rather than factual rebuttals. They include:
Mockery of mental health
Speculation about self-harm
Obsessive fixation on irrelevant details
Attempts to discredit reporting without disputing documented facts
In one post, the site grotesquely exploited the 2011 shooting death of Flash’s younger brother—an act widely condemned by readers and journalism advocates as crossing an ethical red line.
County Officials Appear on the Site
The site’s activities cannot be viewed in isolation. Jeff Davis County Judge Curtis Evans and Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke have appeared in photographs published by the site. One article explicitly states a photo of Luedecke standing beside a county-owned vehicle was “taken with permission,” indicating awareness of how the image would be used.
Emails later revealed that Jeff Davis County officials provided body-camera video to the anonymous site outside the Texas Public Information Act process—then initially denied doing so and failed to produce records documenting the release.
The combination of insider access, selective disclosure of public records, and anonymous personal attacks has raised serious concerns about retaliation against the press and misuse of government resources.
Political Context
The revelation that the individual linked to the smear site is both:
A Republican candidate for office in Fort Davis, and A campaign officer for another Republican candidate
adds a new political dimension to what had previously appeared to be anonymous online harassment.
Campaign officers are entrusted with compliance, transparency, and ethical conduct. Texas law requires campaign treasurers to accurately report finances and operate within strict legal boundaries. Their involvement in anonymous political attacks raises questions about judgment, ethics, and fitness for public trust.
Public Interest, Not Personal Dispute
This is not a personal disagreement or online spat. It is a matter of public accountability.
An anonymous website designed to impersonate a local news outlet, operated by a political candidate and campaign officer, amplified by sitting county officials, and fueled by selective access to public records represents a direct threat to transparency and the free press.
Big Bend Times will continue reporting on:
The misuse of public resources
Retaliation against journalists
Political actors operating anonymously to avoid accountability
Screenshots and excerpts from the smear site are published under fair use for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and public accountability.
Those who wish to challenge that are free to do so—openly.
