Jeff Davis County Republican Party Chair-elect Jason “Jake” Knobloch said some of the county’s elected officials have “absolutely no respect for the law” in a public comment posted on Reason magazine’s website.
“While it’s true some of our elected officials in Jeff Davis County have absolutely no respect for the law, in this case it’s the fake journalist that is the thug,” Knobloch wrote under the username “knobby.”
The comment appeared beneath an article discussing litigation involving Texas Reporter publisher David Flash and Jeff Davis County officials. Flash has accused county officials of violating his constitutional rights through arrests, detention, restrictions on his access to public property and other actions connected to his reporting.
Although Knobloch attacked Flash as a “fake journalist” and a “thug,” his statement also included a blunt acknowledgment that some elected officials in the county do not respect the law.
Another commenter responded that dismissing the dispute as “fake journalism” did not address the constitutional questions raised by the case or the attention it has received from legal scholars.
Knobloch is set to lead the county Republican Party, making his assessment notable in a county where several Republican officeholders have been accused in federal court of misconduct and constitutional violations.
The allegations against the officials remain subject to litigation, and a court has not issued a final ruling on the merits of the case.
