They Called Me a Weapon—Now They’re Crying Foul

When Your Independence Exposes Everyone, You Become Everyone’s Target

May 24, 2025

By Aaron C. Knapp LSW, CDCA, Investigative Journalist, Scapegoat, Doormat, Weapon (for Justice), watchdog, and all around “Good Guy” (I mean were all “good guys here”…right?)
May 2025

I. Introduction

I’ve been called a lot of things. A watchdog. A problem. A disruptor. Even a weapon.

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But over the last few weeks, some of my loudest critics—ironically the same people who once slipped tips under the door or asked me to “look into something”—have gone full conspiracy theorist. One of them, Tia Hilton, now publicly claims I’m Sheriff Jack Hall’s political “weapon.” She’s even floated the idea that I’m part of some coordinated alliance with Mayor Jack Bradley. The very same mayor I’ve directly challenged—on the record and in person.

Let’s be very clear: I am nobody’s “weapon.” At least not in the way they’re suggesting.

Have I called myself a “weapon for justice”? Absolutely. Because that’s what I strive to be—someone who cuts through lies, exposes misconduct, and applies pressure where the system won’t. But to say I’m a pawn of Sheriff Hall or Mayor Bradley is not only factually bankrupt, it’s laughable.

II. The Weapon They Made Me

There’s a strange irony in watching people accuse you of being a political “weapon” when they were the ones who first picked you up and aimed you.

Over the last few years, I’ve been called a “bulldog,” an “attack dog,” and more recently, a “weapon.” It wasn’t always said in jest. Some people said it with admiration. Others said it in fear. But all of them said it because they know one thing to be true: I investigate. I dig. I uncover. I follow the facts. And when someone tells me, “You should look into this,” I do.

That’s what happened with Garon Petty. That’s what happened with the juvenile detention racial disparities. That’s what happened with James McCann. And that’s what’s happening now with this bizarre, escalating attempt by Tia Hilton to paint me as some rogue operator for Sheriff Jack Hall and Mayor Jack Bradley—two men I’ve held to account in different ways.

They call me a “weapon,” but it was Chief McCann who first tried to use me. It was McCann who personally gave me the council recordings, interviews, and internal reports in the Garon Petty case—saying he knew I would “put it online.” That wasn’t about justice. That was about embarrassing the same council that had become a problem for him.

I didn’t stop to ask who benefited. I did what I always do—I told the truth. I published the evidence. I let the public decide.

Now, because I’ve done the same with Tia Hilton and Gerald Phillips, suddenly I’m a “threat.” I’m “dangerous.” I’m the one who “needs to be stopped.” But that’s only because I won’t stop exposing what they’d rather keep hidden. That’s not the behavior of someone part of a conspiracy. That’s the behavior of someone standing alone, doing what’s right, even when it’s uncomfortable.

If I’m a weapon, then I’m a weapon for justice. Not for McCann. Not for Hall. Not for Bradley. And certainly not for the people who only liked me when my work served their narrative.

III. Let’s Talk About Jack Hall

I’ve spoken with Sheriff Jack Hall on the phone occasionally. We’ve met in person exactly three times. He’s not a friend. He’s not a mentor. He’s not my ally. He is a public official—and like all public officials, I’ve held him to account when I believed the public interest demanded it.

But let me be absolutely clear: I like Jack Hall. I support Jack Hall. And as I’ve said before, I love Jack Hall—for who he is and what he represents. He’s one of the few officials in this county I believe genuinely cares about doing what’s right. And because of that, I hold him accountable. That’s what good humans do for each other. That’s what respect looks like. It goes both ways.

That being said it was a shock (not a surprise) to hear Tia Hilton and her allies suggest that I’m some covert “weapon” for Hall, or part of a secret alliance with Mayor Jack Bradley, is laughable. I’ve publicly criticized Hall’s wife when I believed it was warranted. I’ve gone after Mayor Bradley harder than almost anyone in this region. And yes, I even called out Bradley’s wife for interfering with a public meeting involving Garon Petty—because no one gets a pass when they interfere with the people’s right to be heard.

Let’s talk about what really happened. In April 2024, I filed a public records request with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office seeking any documentation related to Hilton’s accusations against me. That request was denied by Records Division staffer Alyson Janaszcura, citing ORC 149.43 and the presence of records related to an uncharged suspect—me. In other words, there was in fact an investigative review. It was real. It happened.

Later, when I filed my own complaints about Hilton’s behavior—accusing me of crimes, making public threats, and inciting fear—Sheriff Hall’s legal counsel, Tony Nici, formally responded that there was “no criminal act.” He advised me to pursue civil remedies, and the Sheriff’s Office took no further action.

So let’s put this plainly: I was under review without even knowing it. I was not contacted, interviewed, or warned. I only learned about Hilton’s report when she filed a protection order and referenced it in court. At the same time, my own complaints were brushed aside.

If this was a conspiracy to protect me, it was the worst-planned conspiracy in county history.

IV. The Weapon Narrative: Projection, Paranoia, and Political Theater

Tia Hilton and her allies have spent the last several months fabricating a narrative that I am some kind of political “weapon” deployed by powerful men to attack her. According to Hilton’s most recent claims, I am simultaneously an enforcer for Sheriff Jack Hall, Mayor Jack Bradley, and various political operatives, all working in secret unison to discredit her.

This is as absurd as it is contradictory.

Let me be absolutely clear: I have no allegiance to anyone but the truth. I’ve fought for veterans, for families, and for transparency at every level of government—whether it meant siding with someone I personally liked or going after someone I once supported. I follow the facts. Period.

It’s true that I’ve referred to myself before as a “weapon.” But it’s never been in service of any person. It’s always been about the mission—the pursuit of justice, the exposure of wrongdoing, and the defense of the silenced. I’ve said publicly that I’m a “weapon for justice.” I’ve also said that in politics, like in war, “soldiers get discarded when the mission ends.” People use you when it’s convenient, and disavow you when it’s not. That’s the world we live in.

McCann used me when he dumped the entire Garon Petty investigation file on my lap. His message at the time was clear: “We know you’ll put it online.” He wanted to use me to embarrass City Council. Others have done the same—sometimes through anonymous tips, sometimes through whispered messages, and sometimes through bold disclosures. But make no mistake: when people send me information, I verify it, I investigate it, and I publish it.

That doesn’t make me a pawn. It makes me a journalist.

It’s not just dishonest to portray me as someone’s hitman—it’s also cowardly. It’s a way of avoiding the truth and dismissing the facts I’ve uncovered by pretending I’m just doing someone else’s bidding. That might be easier than confronting the uncomfortable reality: the corruption is real, the retaliation is real, and the facts are not on Hilton’s side.

Her weapon narrative is nothing more than a political defense mechanism. A strategy to portray herself as the underdog while ignoring the vulgar emails she sent, the baseless accusations she filed, the social media mockery she launched, and the legal threats she enabled.

It’s projection, plain and simple. And it’s dangerous.

V. Final Thought: Truth Doesn’t Need a Sponsor

Let’s make something abundantly clear: If I had truly been part of some political alliance with Sheriff Jack Hall, Prosecutor Cillo, or Mayor Jack Bradley, I wouldn’t have found myself blindsided by a protection order based on hearsay. I wouldn’t have had to dig through public records to discover that I was investigated without so much as a phone call.

I wouldn’t have had complaints dismissed by legal counsel or requests denied by the Records Division citing sealed materials related to me as an “uncharged suspect.” That’s not protection. That’s abandonment.

Tia Hilton wants the public to believe there’s a powerful cabal behind me. But the only thing behind me is my own persistence. My name, my work, and my record speak for themselves. I don’t need to conspire with public officials—I confront them. I’ve challenged Judge Swenski. I’ve challenged Tim Wietzel. I’ve challenged Jack Bradley. And when I had to, I challenged Jack Hall. And in the end I stood up in Court, Pro Se, and stated my case and as such the TPO was dismissed. When your house is made of lies it only takes one truth to topple it.

The difference is this: I do so based on facts, not fantasy.

Hilton’s conspiracy theory is a smokescreen—one that tries to rewrite the truth to save face. When the protection order fell apart in court, when the subpoenas she issued led nowhere, when her witness didn’t show up—she didn’t own the failure. She doubled down with accusations that I was “protected.” That’s not justice. That’s projection.

I’ve said it before: I am a weapon for justice. That means I go where the evidence leads, not where I’m told. People try to use me. They send documents. They whisper tips. Some do it out of fear. Some do it out of hope. But I follow the story where it goes, whether it makes friends or enemies. And that’s what they hate most.

Because I’m not on anyone’s leash. I don’t need to be told where to aim.

I choose the targets based on truth. And the truth? It doesn’t need a sponsor. It only needs someone willing to speak it.

Legal Disclaimer

The contents of this article are for informational and advocacy purposes only. All statements reflect the personal knowledge, beliefs, and opinions of the author, Aaron C. Knapp, and are based on publicly available information, official documents, sworn testimony, and personal records lawfully obtained.

Where official records, police reports, or public filings are cited, the inclusion of such documents is for transparency and public accountability. Their publication does not imply guilt, nor do they represent findings of fact unless so adjudicated in a court of law.

All individuals named in this article—whether public officials, private citizens, or otherwise—are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The author respects the constitutional protections of due process, free speech, and the right to petition government for redress of grievances.

This article does not constitute legal advice, and the author is not acting in the capacity of an attorney. Any republication or misuse of this content outside its intended context is not authorized.

This publication is paid for and approved by Aaron C. Knapp, candidate for Lorain City Council, Ward 6, in compliance with Ohio election law.

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