A county commissioner in far southeast Oklahoma who was identified by a local newspaper as one of several officials caught on tape discussing killing reporters and lynching Black people has resigned from office. Gov. Kevin Stitt's office confirmed Wednesday it had received a handwritten resignation letter from McCurtain County Commissioner Mark Jennings. The threatening comments by Jennings and officials with the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office were obtained by the McCurtain Gazette-News. They sparked outrage and protests in the city of Idabel. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, sheriff's office officials claimed the recording was illegal. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed on Wednesday it has launched an investigation into the matter.
