Oklahoma sheriff says recording officers discussing murder of reporters was illegal

The southeastern Oklahoma sheriff’s office says the recording of the sheriff and others being heard discussing the murder of two journalists was illegal and anticipates felony charges will be filed.

A statement about the sheriff’s office facebook pagethe first public statement since comments by Sheriff Kevin Clardy and others was reported by the McCurtain Gazette-News, does not address the recorded comments about the murder of journalists and the hanging of black people, but calls the situation “complex” and “we are sorry to have to address it.”

The statement calls the last 72 hours “among the most difficult and disturbing in recent memory” and says the recording was doctored and involved many victims.

“There is and has been an ongoing investigation into multiple significant violations of the Oklahoma Communications Security Law… which makes it illegal to secretly record a conversation in which you are not involved and do not have consent. of at least one of the parties involved,” according to the statement.

Joey Senat, a professor of journalism at Oklahoma State University, said that under Oklahoma law, the recording would be legal if it was obtained in a location where the recording officials had no reasonable expectation of privacy.

Bruce Willingham, the longtime editor of the McCurtain Gazette-News, said the recording was made on March 6 when he left a voice-activated recorder inside the room after a county commissioner meeting because he suspected the group was continuing. conducting business in the county after the meeting. it had ended in violation of the state’s Open Meetings Law.

Willingham said he spoke twice with his lawyers to make sure he wasn’t doing anything illegal.

The newspaper released portions of the recording in which Clardy, Sheriff’s Captain Alicia Manning and District 2 County Commissioner Mark Jennings appear to be discussing Bruce and Chris Willingham, a reporter for the newspaper who is the son of Bruce Willingham. Jennings tells Clardy and Manning, “I know where to dig two deep holes if you ever need them,” to which the sheriff replied, “I have a bulldozer.”

Jennings also reportedly says that he knows “two or three hitmen” in Louisiana, adding that “they’re very chill guys.”

In the recording, Jennings also appears to complain about not being able to hang black people, saying, “They got more rights than we did.”

Jail administrator Larry Hendrix was also present during the conversation.

The Associated Press could not immediately verify the authenticity of the recording. None of the four have returned phone calls or emails from The Associated Press.

A spokesman for the fbiThe Oklahoma City office said the agency’s policy is not to confirm or deny any ongoing investigation. Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, said the agency received an audio recording and is investigating the incident, but declined to comment further.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and state Rep. Eddy Dempsey, a Republican representing the area, called for the resignation of Clardy, Manning, Jennings and Hendrix.

More than 100 people gathered outside the McCurtain County Courthouse in Idabel on Monday, many of them calling for the resignation of the sheriff and other county officials.

The sheriff’s office statement said there have been “a large number of threats of violence, including death threats” against employees, county officials, their families and unspecified friends since the conversation was first reported.

The statement said the sheriff’s office will issue press releases until its investigation is concluded “and the findings are forwarded to the proper authorities so that felony charges can be filed against those involved.”