Okla. officials discuss killing journalists, lynching Black people in secret recording

Apr 21, 2023 at 01:22 PM CDT

Shannon Longworth

A conversation between county officials in Oklahoma was secretly recorded. Comments made in the recording have led to resignation calls. — Image credit: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect

A recent conversation between county officials in Oklahoma was secretly recorded. Comments made in the recording have led to calls for some of those officials to resign.

Shannon Longworth

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

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“I’m gonna tell you something. If it was back in the day, when that when Alan Marshton would take a damn black guy and whoop their ass and throw him in the cell? I’d run for f****** sheriff.”

“Yeah. Well, It’s not like that no more.”

“I know. Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with a damn rope. But you can’t do that anymore. They got more rights than we got.”

What you were just listening to was a secretly-recorded conversation between county officials in Oklahoma.

Those comments — as well as several others — have the governor calling for resignations.

In that first clip we played for you — McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and county Commissioner Mark Jennings appeared to lament not being able to lynch black people anymore.

In addition to those two — Governor Kevin Stitt called for the resignations of sheriff’s investigator Alicia Manning, and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix.

The recording captured the officials talking about “beating, killing and burying” local journalists.

Clardy could also be heard boasting about intimidating the local district attorney.

“He called up and said I was a liar. And I went over to his f****** office and I I’ll tell you know thing, m***********. I ain’t no f****** liar. He said you have a seat I said I think I’ll stand. I was standing right in the middle of his door. I went over there to whoop his ass.”

In a statement — Governor Stitt said quote “I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County. There is simply no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their respective office.”

Since the recording came out — Jennings has resigned.

Clardy — Manning and Hendrix have not made any public statements about the recording — nor have they responded to requests for comment.

In a Facebook post earlier this week — the sheriff’s office said the recording was “illegally obtained.”

The office added the recording may have been altered — and may have been produced in violation of state law prohibiting secret recordings by third parties.

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- Oklahoma Official Caught on Tape Fantasizing About Lynching Black People Resigns
  RollingStone
- Oklahoma Commissioner Resigns After Getting Caught Discussing Attacking Black People
  Talking Points Memo
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- Oklahoma official resigns after he’s recorded discussing lynching black people, killing reporters
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- McCurtain County commissioner accused of discussing killings, lynching resigns
  Muskogee Phoenix
- GRAPHIC: County commissioner in Oklahoma accused of discussing killings, lynching resigns from office
  kwqc.com

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