The FBI is investigating three McCurtain County, Oklahoma officials caught on tape by a local newspaper talking about lynching black people and killing journalists.
In a sting report published last week, a local newspaper, the McCurtain Gazette-News released a transcript of a conversation involving a trio of county officials who were caught on tape after a Board of Commissioners meeting on March 6.
The officials allegedly talking about lynching black people and killing journalists are identified as McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, Investigator Alicia Manning, and District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings.
Bruce Willingham, a McCurtain Gazette-News reported, had filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff’s office, Investigator Manning, and the Board of Commissioners. Willingham says he has handed over the audio to the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation of Oklahoma.
“Oh, you’re talking about you can’t control yourself?” Commissioner Jennings allegedly responded.
“Yeah, I ain’t worried about what he’s gonna do to me, Manning replied. “I’m worried about what I might do to him. My papaw would have whipped his ass, would have wiped him, and used him for toilet paper … if my daddy hadn’t been run over by a vehicle, he would have been down there.”
The three then proceeded casually to discuss possible ways of killing the journalist.
“I know where two big, deep holes are here if you ever need them,” Sheriff Clardyallegedly interjects.
“Well these are already pre-dug,” Jennings allegedly responds.
The conversation then veers off to discussing possible scenarios for selection to the officer.
“They don’t have a goddamn clue what they’re getting into,” Commissioner Jennings said. “Not this day and age. I’m going to tell you something — if it was back in the day when Alan Marston would take a damned Black guy and whoop their (expletive) and throw them in the cell, I’d run for (expletive) sheriff.”
“Yeah, it’s not like that no more,” Sheriff replies.
“Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with damned rope,” Jennings said. “But you can’t do that anymore. They’ve got more rights than we’ve got.”
