MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla. — The McCurtain Gazette released the full audio recording of comments allegedly made by county commissioners after a public meeting.

The more than three-hour audio clip was detailed in their Thursday newspaper with a QR code readers could scan to listen for themselves. 

A Gazette reporter was recording the March 6th meeting, when he left his recorder on and in the room, after the meeting concluded.

Remarks heard on the recording detail lynching Black people and killing journalists.

Comments from this recording started to circulate over the weekend, with Governor Stitt asking for the resignation of several of the officials to resign Sunday.

County Commissioner Mark Jennings resigned Wednesday.

The paper said the audio of the meeting was legally obtained, but the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it was illegally recorded and is investigating. The sheriff’s office also said it believes the recording had been altered.

The recording was made hours after Gazette-News reporter Chris Willingham filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, Manning, and the Board of County Commissioners, alleging they had defamed him and violated his civil rights, the newspaper reported.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office is also investigating.