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Nearly a month ago, a story emerged from Granger, IN, involving an alleged altercation between Loris Zappia, the Republican Candidate for St. Joseph County Judge of Probate Court, and his brother, Len Zappia, a Judicial Referee. The incident reportedly took place on Friday, August 9th, 2024, just outside of Loris Zappia's private residence. The details of what transpired that evening have incited widespread speculation and debate, particularly due to the questionable nature of the 911 call that brought the alleged event to light.
The 911 call was made by an individual who self-identified as “Tyler” using a phone number with a Long Beach, California area code. Tyler reported the incident based on information he claimed to have received second-hand, stating: “Ok, So I’m hearing this second hand, but I was just told that Judge (Len) Zappia was assaulted outside of his home." Tyler elaborated, "He is a magistrate within the Probate Court, and he was assaulted by Loris Zappia. So, I’m being told this by people that are important people in this county that are afraid to call 911 themselves.” When asked by the 911 operator if anyone was currently in danger, Tyler replied: "I'm not sure, I'm just being told that somebody who's neighbor saw it, they're (sic) never called because they were afraid." This would mean Tyler received the information third hand, not second-hand as he stated at the beginning of the 911 call. This incident pushes into the murky waters of potential election interference, particularly when considering the revelation of "Tyler's" identity.
Listen to the 911 call here:
Tyler Gillean, later identified as the caller, is no ordinary citizen. As a former Chair of the St. Joseph County Republican Party, the motives behind his call—filled with conjecture—are loaded with potential political implications. Gillean's call was riddled with unfounded allegations about Loris Zappia, such as, “But Judge Zappia, I guess, called one of these individuals and said he's off his meds or he's psychotic.” "“He might be coming for you guys next." Gillean also told the 911 operator: "But I mean, I've heard about this guy." Implying that he has previously heard other stories about Zappia.
Gillean made those statements juxtaposed with numerous attempts to avoid personal identification, “Okay, and is my name anonymous....Yeah, because I mean I don't want any retaliation on my job either.”
One is compelled to question the underlying purpose of calling 911 when someone is so far removed from an incident. In a highly volatile election season, such assertions could be construed as an attempt to undermine a key Republican figure through insinuations and second or third-hand rumors. The description provided by Gillean about the alleged attacker— including specific details about Zappia's characteristics—and his insistence on anonymity might quite reasonably lead one to question if there's a clandestine effort to disrupt the electoral process by tarnishing Loris Zappia's public image. Given this context, the potential for election interference is a grave concern, suggesting the possibility of a deliberate smear campaign aimed at influencing the outcome of the upcoming elections.
As investigations continue, it becomes crucial to discern fact from speculation, and pressingly, to evaluate whether the actions of individuals such as Gillean represent a broader strategy to manipulate voter perceptions and the integrity of the electoral process. Related Stories: