Watson was one of dozens gathered in protest at the meeting and he said the community needs the commissioners to take action.
Following the meeting on March 6, it was suspected that he illegally left the recorder behind because he publicly stated that he had left the recording device behind after the meeting.
I know where there are two deep holes if you ever need them, Sheriff Manning Clardy and Deputy Chris Willingham reported to me. They also appeared in The McCurtain Gazette-News to discuss the white people, Jennings and Manning Clardy, who are known for their historical association with the Ku Klux Klan rallies in Mud Creek, a rural part of the county. The newspaper reported that the commissioners discussed the lynching of Black people.
He was already replaced by Ray Bamburg, a Republican appointed by Jennings, who resigned. Kevin Stitt, the Republican Governor of Oklahoma, said that his team is pursuing all avenues to unseat the Sheriff. Federal and state lawmakers have repeatedly called for county officials involved to resign.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation were actively examining the issue last week, as confirmed by various media sources. Surprisingly, the matter was not listed on an updated agenda, despite commissioners publishing an agenda that included a discussion on commencing actions to oust the sheriff.
Expressing his viewpoint, District 1 Commissioner John Williams, who was absent during the recording, stated, “However, I am carrying out actions that align with my personal convictions. Considering my limited experience and ongoing learning process, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, as there are many procedural aspects to consider.”
Glenda Austin, a 70-year-old Black resident of Idabel, who is one of the accused officials, stated that she has observed racial occurrences in the community for many years. Austin urged the commissioners to take action regarding this matter.
“I’m simply exhausted from it and I understand that as leaders, you should have the capacity to take action,” Austin expressed.
“We are not secure,” she added. “That’s the fundamental issue, we are not protected.”
In this vote, neither Carter nor Clardy abstained from voting, and only the commissioners were present for the recorded conversation. Heather Carter, the secretary for the commissioners, was allegedly present during the conversation. The board members of the county jail, including Clardy, also participated in the voting. However, citizens who posted a shared video on social media, expressing concerns, did not receive answers to their questions. Instead, the jail administrator, Hendrix, who is on administrative leave, voted in place of the board members of McCurtain County’s jail last week.
CNHI Oklahoma has been unable to verify the recordings or the identities of the speakers on its own.
According to multiple media outlets, Bruce Willingham, the publisher of the family-owned News-Gazette newspaper, reported that Attorney Matloff’s comments about a disagreement in a lawsuit led to his resignation. District Attorney officials told county officials that he went to their office to “whoop ass” among other comments.
The complete audio recording, which includes an online Dropbox directory connected to a QR code featured on the Gazette’s homepage, was tracked by a CNHI journalist. Recently, The Gazette-News published articles and audio files pertaining to the event on its updated website.
Jennings reportedly stated that if given the opportunity, he would physically assault an African American individual, imprison them, and if successful, he would pursue a career as a sheriff. Additionally, he discussed the idea of driving a military tank into the headquarters of the newspaper.
“Yes, it’s no longer like that,” Clardy allegedly replied.
Jimmie Williams, an African American Idabel clergyman, informed commissioners on Monday that they must take decisive measures.
“We need to establish a limit at some point so that this kind of activity will stop,” Williams stated.
They did not deny the alleged comments, but claimed that the recording had been altered and that the newspaper had no proof. Officials investigating the journalist who recorded them said that a message was posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page, alleging potential violations of state law. County officials in McCurtain have not responded to requests for comments.
As per the details provided by the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma, Clardy cannot be compelled to step down unless he has been found guilty of breaching any of the various regulations outlined in the state law.
Officials elected at the county level are permitted to enforce the provisions outlined in the state law. These provisions, which can also be applied to the officials elected at the county level, encompass actions such as failure to account for public property or funds, habitual drunkenness, willful maladministration, willful overcharging of fees, corruption through extortion, gross partiality, and willful or habitual neglect of duty.
According to state law, the elected official accused must then provide a copy to the local district attorney, and the district judge must turn it over after receiving it. In the county where the official serves, a grand jury may present an accusation to the district court.
If found guilty, the court is obligated to mandate the removal of the defendant from their position. In the event that the official refutes the charges, the court is obliged to conduct a legal proceeding. Subsequently, said official is compelled to present themselves before a district court and respond to the allegations.
Advocates argued that the current legislation is crafted to safeguard elected representatives from being ousted for political motives.
Clardy seemingly ran uncontested in 2020 after easily winning his first election in 2016 as a member of the Democratic party.
Chris Willingham, who allegedly criticized the government county for corruption, wrote more than 30 articles in the past two years investigating the alleged misconduct. Additionally, Clardy also raised concerns about the matter.
Willingham filed a defamation lawsuit against Clardy, Manning and the county commissioners the same day of the alleged conversation on the audio.
The federal court documents accuse Manning and Clardy of retaliation against Willingham in a series of stories that the sheriff’s department wrote while investigating claims of misconduct.
Reportedly, Manning voiced her disapproval of the Gazette in the audio and notified officials that she had a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with the district attorney, which she characterized as a verbal clash between them.
Sen. George Burns, a Republican from the State of Oklahoma who resides in McCurtain County town of Pollard, recently stated that he believes it is necessary for both Clardy and Jennings to resign. He also mentioned that he listened to the audio recordings containing “hateful, racist” comments made by Clardy and Jennings, and he believes that any staff members involved should also step down if necessary.
He insisted that Clardy, Manning, and Hendrix “do the correct thing and present their resignations as well.”
During an inquiry into the issue, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation verified participation. No additional specifics were disclosed by either organization.