MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla. — Some McCurtain County citizens are growing impatient that appointed and elected officials involved in a potential corruption scandal are still running the county.
It all stems from an audio recording in March where talks include flagrant racism and murder plots.
The head of a grassroots group called “McCurtain County Movement,” Lonnie Watson, says an attorney has agreed to work pro bono to help them file a citizen’s petition to oust Sheriff Kevin Clardy and Alicia Manning, lead investigator for MCSO.
- Previous story>>> McCurtain County Commissioner resigns
Watson says the process is in the initial phase. It’s unclear how many signatures would be needed but the attorney told him they would need evidence.
“You heard the audio. It doesn’t get much clearer than the audio,” said Watson.
Sheriff Clardy, Manning, Larry Hendrix (Jail Administrator), and Mark Jennings (County Commissioner) were allegedly involved in a lengthy recording talking of lynching black people and killing the journalists of the McCurtain Gazette News, who had been investigating them for two years. Jennings resigned, and Hendrix is on paid leave. The other two are still running operations.
Watson is frustrated about recent comments made by Attorney General Gentner Drummond. While the AG investigation is still underway, Drummond has said there is not a legal case for an ouster right now because being racist isn’t a crime.
Watson says this is not simply about racist talks but specific plots to kill the journalists—detailing how, where, and who could be hired to do it (mentioning the mafia).
“[If] You uphold the law, that’s dangerous when you engage in that kind of conversation,” said Watson. “Saying you [Clardy] have an excavator. That just means, ‘I got an excavator, I’ll dig the holes for ya,’ so what does that say to our community?”
Watson also questions the legality of Sheriff Clardy allegedly heard wanting to beat up the McCurtain County District Attorney.
“It’s about holding yourself [the sheriff] to a higher standard and not being able to do whatever you wanted to do,” said Watson.
A special election was held Tuesday to fill the County Commissioner’s seat who resigned. The Republican candidate who won the primary is Tina Thomas. 2News is told Thomas is Jennings’ former secretary.
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