Oklahoma Governor calls on officials to resign over the recording of racist and threatening remarks

Governor Kevin Stitt’s call for the resignation of the four McCurtain County officials came after the McCurtain Gazette-News published an audio recording of the conversation. The recording was reportedly made following a Board of Commissioners meeting on March 6, featuring several officials making racist and threatening comments.

The officials implicated in the recording is McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings, sheriff’s investigator Alicia Manning, and jail administrator Larry Hendrix. According to the Gazette-News, the recording includes comments about lynching Black people and killing journalists. The officials also allegedly expressed disappointment that Black people could no longer be lynched.

The recording was made hours after Gazette-News reporter Chris Willingham filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, Manning, and the Board of County Commissioners, alleging defamation and violation of his civil rights. In the recording, Manning spoke about needing to go near the newspaper’s office and expressed concern about what would happen if she ran into Willingham. Jennings allegedly replied that his father was once upset by something the newspaper published and “started to go down there and just kill him.”

The McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office has stated that the recording was illegally obtained and is currently investigating. They also believe that the recording may have been altered. Governor Stitt has called for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to look into the case.

The officials in question have not yet publicly commented on the recording or the governor’s call for their resignation.