Officials Told To RESIGN After Recording Is Leaked!

Public servants have a responsibility to respect the laws and values of the communities they serve. Especially if your job involves enforcing the law. The following anecdote, however, shows that this is not always the case. The governor of Oklahoma has now issued a directive.

The McCurtain Gazette-News, a local publication, has dropped a bombshell tape that clocks in at almost three hours. McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy may be heard on the tape chatting with County Commissioner Mark Jennings and McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Alicia Manning. The discussion occurred during a meeting of the county commissioners on April 6.

Jennings, Clardy, and Manning may be heard on the tape bringing up the topic of father-and-son journalists Bruce and Chris Willingham. Bruce, concerned that the commissioners were not following the state’s Open Meeting Act, placed a voice-activated recorder in the room after one of their meetings. While Manning referred to the guys as “insignificant,” Jennings claimed to know the whereabouts of “two big deep holes.” The sheriff replies that he is equipped with “an excavator.” Jennings adds that he has known some extremely silent hitmen.

The topic of black people comes up as well. Jennings suggests locking them up after beating them. Sheriff Rudy says, “It’s not like that no more.” Jennings claims that he wishes he could lynch black people in a nearby stream but is unable to do so because “They got more rights than we got.”

The Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, demanded their resignations, calling the officials’ remarks “horrid” and said that such “hateful rhetoric” had no place in his state.

On April 18th, Jennings announced his resignation. Neither the sheriff nor the investigator has as of this writing. According to CNN, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office alleges the tape was obtained unlawfully, but the newspaper denies this.

News 9 reports that the FBI has begun a probe into the situation.