An Oklahoma newspaper released a chilling 217-minute recorded conversation it says took place between law enforcement and city officials, who discussed lynching Black people, attacking journalists and intimidating prosecutors.
One of those threats, according to the McCurtain Gazette-News, came from McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy. The lawman said he was “gonna bounce” reporter Chris Willingham, who has written dozens of articles about government corruption. County Commissioner Mark Jennings seemingly spoke of driving a tank through the Gazette’s newsroom.
The Oklahoman posted the Gazette’s recording online and provided a summary in digital form. The Gazette only publishes in print.
Gazette publisher Bruce Willingham said he obtained the audio by leaving a recorder running following an April 6 commissioner’s meeting. Segments of the conversations between officials were released online over the weekend.
A complete recording of the conversation, in which jail administrator Larry Hendrix and investigator Alicia Manning were also reportedly in attendance, is now on YouTube.
Manning allegedly said she planned to be near the newspaper’s office and wasn’t sure she’d be able to control herself if she saw the detested reporter outside the building. According to Manning, her “papaw” would’ve “whipped his ass” had her grandfather not “been run over by a vehicle.”
The commissioner said his dad once “started to go down there and just kill him” after seeing at article in the Gazette that rubbed him the wrong way.
I know where two big, deep holes are here if you ever need them,” Jennings reportedly told Manning.
Jennings also spoke of knowing two hitmen, according to the Gazette. He allegedly romanticized about “back in the day” when a former sheriff used to “whoop” Black men and throw them in jail — or worse.
“Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with damned rope,” he said, according to the Oklahoman’s online version of the Gazette’s story. “But you can’t do that anymore. They’ve got more rights than we’ve got.”
Clardy then appears to boast about a visit he made to the district attorney’s office, where he blocked the prosecutor from leaving and wanted to “whoop his ass.”
The sheriff claims he assured the D.A. that he “ain’t no f—king liar.”
Gov. Kevin Stitt called for the resignation of those recorded. Jennings stepped down, however the sheriff’s office is challenging the voracity and legality of the recording.
The Gazette publishes in Idabel, Okla., which was the site of 1980 race riots involving 150 “hastily assigned” police officers and roughly 200 Black people, according to the Washington Post. Two men and a teenager were left dead by a weekend of skirmishes in the southeast corner of the state.