Oklahoma Gov. Stitt demands officials resign after remarks about killing journalists leak
Oklahoma’s Governor is asking for the resignation of county officials following an audio recording of a newspaper that allegedly captured some of them complaining to two journalists about knowing where hit men are buried and two holes were dug.
The paper released a portion of the recording, which appears to show one of the four men making racist remarks about Black people.
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Sunday that he would be seeking the resignations from McCurtain Sheriff Kevin Clardy, and three other county officials. Alicia Manning and District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings.
Stitt made a statement saying, “I’m both shocked and disheartened by the horrible comments made by officials from McCurtain county.” There is no place in Oklahoma for hateful remarks, particularly by officials who represent their communities through their offices.
|
McCurtain Gazette-News has released a portion of an audio recording from a county commission meeting on March 6, in which Clardy and Manning appear to be discussing reporters Bruce and Chris Willingham. Jennings says to Clardy and Manning, “I know two deep holes that are dug in case you need them.” The sheriff replied “I have an excavator.”
Jennings said that he knew “two or three” hit men in Louisiana. He added, “They’re very quiet people.”
Jennings appears to be complaining in the recording about not being allowed to hang Blacks, saying “They have more rights than us.”
The Associated Press was unable to verify the authenticity of this recording immediately. The Associated Press did not receive any response from the four individuals on Monday when they were contacted by The Associated Press.
A spokesperson for the FBI office in Oklahoma City stated that the agency does not confirm or deny an ongoing investigation. Phil Bacharach is a spokesperson for Attorney General Gentner drummond. He said that the FBI had received an audio tape and was investigating the incident. However, he declined to provide any further comment.
On Monday, more than 100 people gathered in front of the McCurtain Courthouse at Idabel. Many demanded the resignation of the sheriff and county officials.
Bruce Willingham, long-time publisher of McCurtain Gazette-News said that the recording was made on March 6, when he left an voice-activated tape recorder in the room following a meeting of county commissioners because he believed the group continued to conduct county affairs after the meeting ended, which was a violation of the Open Meeting Act of the State. Bruce Willingham is the father of Chris Willingham, who works as a reporter for the McCurtain Gazette-News.
Bruce Willingham: “I spoke to our lawyers on two separate occasions to ensure that I was not doing anything illegal,” Bruce Willingham.
Bruce Willingham believes local officials are upset because of “stories that we have run which cast the sheriff’s office in a negative light,” such as the death Bobby Barrick. A Broken Bow, Oklahoma man died in a hospital after McCurtain county deputies shot him in March 2022 with a stungun. The newspaper filed a suit against the sheriff’s office to obtain body camera footage as well as other records related to Barrick’s demise.
Bruce Willingham also said that he had given his audio recordings to both the FBI and Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office. He added that he had several conversations with federal agents.
Joey Senat is a journalism professor from Oklahoma State University. He was shocked by the comments in the recording. This is especially true in light of the recent murders of American journalists, such as the arrest of an elected official in Las Vegas last year accused of fatally stabbing the veteran reporter who was investigating him.
Senat stated that “the whole conversation was deplorable.” “I was shocked because I assumed most people weren’t only shocked about the racist remarks about African Americans, but also about the comments made about journalists. “Joking is not an excuse.”
Senat stated that under Oklahoma law the recording would only be legal if obtained in an area where the officials being recorded had no reasonable expectation of privacy.
McCurtain county is located in southeast Oklahoma near Arkansas and Texas. It’s a part of Oklahoma that has been dubbed “Little Dixie” because of its influence from the white Southerners, who moved there after the Civil War.
The area is a tourist hotspot, attracting visitors from Dallas-Fort Worth.
State Rep. Eddy Dempsey is a Republican from Oklahoma who represents this area in the Oklahoma House. He said that the recorded comments do not reflect the values and beliefs of his constituents. Stitt also called for the resignation of the four individuals involved in the conversation.
Dempsey: “I’ve said it all my life that we don’t receive enough recognition in Southeast Oklahoma.” “But we do not need this kind recognition.”
