The McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office claims recordings that allegedly captured county officials making violent and racist remarks are fake and were released illegally.
In a Facebook post Monday night, the Sheriff’s Office claimed their preliminary investigation showed the audio that involved officials reminiscing about when racist violence was legal had been altered, and that the release was a violation of the Oklahoma Security of Communications Act.
"There will be continued press releases from this agency as the investigation comes to a close and findings are forwarded to the appropriate authorities for felony charges to be filed on those involved," the post reads.
In the recordings taken apparently in secret at a March 6 county meeting, Sheriff Kevin Clardy can allegedly be heard saying "you can't do that anymore" and bantering with county commissioner Mark Jennings after he said he'd run for sheriff if law enforcement could still be violent to Black people. In another, Clardy and Jennings are allegedly heard discussing plans to kill journalists.
The McCurtain Gazette-News, which broke the story and the recordings, claimed they could be shared because they were taken at a public meeting.
The statement comes after Gov. Kevin Stitt called for the immediate resignation of Jennings, Clardy, investigator Alicia Manning and jail administrator Larry Hendrix after the recordings were published by the newspaper.
None of the four officials were at a county commissioners’ meeting on Monday that drew a crowd of demonstrators outside the building and in the meeting room. Before the meeting,Idabel mayor Craig Young called for resignations.
The state attorney general's office has confirmed it is looking into the matter.
