Two prominent figures in Jeff Davis County politics, including a former county commissioner and the incoming chairman of the county Republican Party, have publicly questioned the integrity and lawfulness of their own county government.
Their statements, made months apart, raise questions about the conduct of county officials and the extent to which concerns about misconduct have emerged from within the county’s own political establishment.
Former Jeff Davis County Precinct 4 Commissioner Royce Laskoskie said in October that he resigned from office in September 2025 because of corruption within county government.
“I resigned as JDC Commissioner, Precinct 4 September of 2025. I resigned due to the corruption in the Courthouse. I want NO association with the Court,” Laskoskie wrote in a message to Big Bend Reporter publisher David Flash.
Laskoskie did not identify the officials he believed were responsible or provide specific examples of the alleged corruption. His statement nevertheless represents an unusually direct accusation from someone who served on the county’s governing body.
Three months earlier, Jason “Jake” Knobloch, then the county’s Republican Party chairman-elect, made a similarly troubling acknowledgment about local elected officials.
“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 in a public comment on Reason magazine’s website.
Knobloch’s comment was directed at Flash, who has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against multiple Jeff Davis County officials. Although Knobloch criticized the publisher, he also expressly acknowledged that some of the county’s elected officials disregard the law.
The significance of the two statements is that accusations of misconduct are not coming exclusively from critics of county government. They are also coming from people within the county’s own political and governmental circles.
Laskoskie served on Commissioners Court, the body responsible for overseeing county operations, finances and major administrative decisions. Knobloch was preparing to lead the local Republican Party, whose members include many of the county’s elected officials.
Their allegations are not identical. Laskoskie explicitly described corruption in the courthouse, while Knobloch accused unspecified elected officials of having no respect for the law. Neither statement, standing alone, establishes that a particular official committed a crime.
But taken together, the remarks raise substantial questions about accountability in Jeff Davis County.
Which officials were they referring to? What conduct prompted their assessments? Did Laskoskie report his concerns before resigning? And if political leaders believe elected officials are disregarding the law, what steps have been taken to address those concerns?
The statements also come amid ongoing federal civil rights litigation involving Flash and county officials. The lawsuit includes allegations of constitutional violations connected to law enforcement actions and Flash’s reporting activities. Those allegations remain contested and have not been established by a final judgment.
The distinction is important: Neither Laskoskie’s statement nor Knobloch’s comment constitutes a judicial finding of corruption. But both are newsworthy because of the positions held by the people making them.
When a former county commissioner says he left office because of corruption, and an incoming county party chairman says some elected officials have no respect for the law, the public has reason to demand answers.
Jeff Davis County residents should not have to speculate about which officials these political figures believe are acting improperly or what evidence supports their assessments.
The question is no longer simply whether outside critics believe something is wrong in Jeff Davis County government. It is why individuals from within the county’s own political establishment are making such serious accusations — and whether anyone in a position of authority intends to investigate them.
