It has been announced that the Oklahoma sheriff, Kevin Clardy, will not face any criminal charges and cannot be removed from office after being reported due to a recorded audio where local officials can be heard making racist comments and discussing murdering two reporters.
The state’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond claimed that his office has completed a thorough investigation and found no compelling evidence to subject Sheriff Kevin Clardy to multiple charges and violations. As a Republican, he also gave emphasis that the state law does not let elected officials to be terminated from office by merely saying something offensive.
“I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt exclaimed pointing out the act of Kevin Clardy.
He (Stitt) added that he does not welcome in the state of Oklahoma such disrespectful acts against the city. Stitt has also pleaded to call the attention of the officials who are allegedly involved in the recorded conversation to resign, including Sheriff Kevin Clardy, jail administrator Larry Hendrix, sheriff’s investigator Alicia Manning, and District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings.
In their previous report, Jennings informed that he would be resigning immediately and effectively after the publication of the recorded conversation.
Moreover, the governor has been unsuccessful in asking Kevin Clardy to resign voluntarily. “To the extent you remain committed to seeing Sheriff Kevin Clardy removed from office, I suggest you appeal to the men and women responsible for electing him.” Drummond wrote in his letter to the governor
CNN has already reached out to Kevin Clardy’s attorney, Howard Morrow, for a response to AG’s letter.
The membership of Kevin Clardy, Alicia Manning, and Larry Hendrix from the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association has been suspended in April after being voted by the organization.
Moreover, to exercise the right to vote and expel officials, McCurtain County voters will decide whether Kevin Clardy will be terminated from his office, Drummond mentioned.