GOP downplays Domestic Violence to run cover for Probate Judge Candidate, HR investigation details incident

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GRANGER, Ind. — The St. Joseph County Republican Party is attempting to downplay a vicious act of domestic violence committed by the GOP candidate for Probate Judge as a family “spat”. Earlier this month, GOP Candidate for Probate Judge Loris Zappia (59) attacked his brother Len Zappia (61) TWICE outside of their Granger homes where they live directly across the street from each other. According to a masonry contractor who was doing working in the neighborhood at the time, at one point, Loris Zappia even took off his shirt and slapped his brother across the face. A St. Joseph County Human Resources report obtained by REAL News Michiana backs up those claims. The report can be read below.

According to the HR report, Loris and Len Zappia have not had a speaking relationship for months due to Len Zappia’s refusal to endorse Loris Zappia’s candidacy for Probate Judge. Len Zappia is currently a sitting Magistrate Judge and works under Loris Zappia’s Democrat opponent. It’s important to note, Len Zappia is also the former St. Joseph County GOP Chair.

The HR report claims Loris Zappia was blaming his brother for releasing details contained in a REAL News Michiana investigation, detailing an incident in which Loris Zappia hit and killed a man with is car in 1983. (NOTE** RNM has never met or spoken to Len Zappia and has never used him as a source for any story.)  Loris Zappia went as far as to harass Len Zappia’s wife by sending her unhinged text messages as early as 3:00am.

“(Len Zappia’s) wife’s phone receiving several texts at 3:00am or 4:00am on Friday morning, (Len) checked it. The texts were from Loris Zappia. The texts contained Facebook posts of the articles.” The report reads.

The next morning, Len Zappia walked to his brother’s home to ask him to stop.

“Loris then opened the door and lunged at Len. Len fell down, Loris spat on Len a couple of times while yelling and screaming in a complete rage. Len left and went to work.” The report reads.

After Len Zappia returned from work and was checking his mailbox, the report states Loris Zappia attacked him again.

“Loris charged into the street yelling. Loris yells at their brother-in-law, ‘Get the fuck in the house.’ Loris then rips off his shirt and followed Len into Len’s home. Loris pushed Len while they were in Len’s kitchen. Len did not fall. Len told Loris to leave. Len stated that he might have told Loris he was going to call the police. Loris left. Len did not call the police.”

Loris Zappia is currently a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the county. He refused to partake in the county HR investigation. He also refused to answer any questions when confronted by RNM.

Loris Zappia did later file a protective order against his brother, however, he quickly had it withdrawn. If he would have kept it, all of the above details would have been released in court and Loris Zappia could have be held responsible for perjury.

GOP DOWNPLAYS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Despite the Human Resources report and testimony from an independent witness, the St. Joseph County GOP is downplaying the Domestic Violence incident as a family “spat.”

In an op-ed published in the South Bend Tribune late last week, Mark Rolfes, the President of Political Action Committee Hoosier Conservative Voices, labeled the incident as a family “spat” while attempting to focus on the irrelevant issue of who called the police to begin with.

“So what do we have here? A whole lot of nothing, at least that needs police involvement. Given that the brothers are both lawyers, both work for the county, one of them is running for office, and the other brother works for the brother’s opponent, this has the stench of someone playing dirty tricks politics in an attempt to smear the name of one, or perhaps both of the Zappia brothers.” Rolfes wrote.

It’s important to note, the Hoosier Conservative Voices PAC was founded by current St. Joseph County Chairwoman Jackie Horvath. Mark Rolfes is also the current fiance/ex-husband of St. Joseph County Clerk Amy Rolfes.

REAL News Michiana reached out to both Mark and Amy Rolfes for comment regarding the trivialization of Domestic Violence by an individual who would be in charge of running a detention facility for children, neither have responded.

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