Michael Saudino, Bergen County Sheriff, Asked to Resign Over Racist Remarks Caught on Tape

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has called for the resignation of Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino after a recording revealed him making racist statements, WNYC reported.

After Murphy's gubernatorial inauguration on January 16, Saudino made discriminatory claims about African-Americans and Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the first Sikh in the nation to be serve as a state's head lawyer. WNYC obtained the recording through an individual who was in the room.

"He talked about the whole thing, the marijuana, sanctuary state...better criminal justice reform. Christ almighty, in other words let the blacks come in, do whatever the f**k they want, smoke their marijuana, do this do that, and don't worry about it. You know, we'll tie the hands of cops," Saudino says to colleagues. He then claims that the governor only appointed Grewal because of "the turban."

The sheriff also admitted to breaking rules involving corrections officers and asked if Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver is gay, since she is not married.

Murphy denounced the remarks in a statement provided to WNYC. "Without question, the comments made on that recording are appalling, and anyone using racist, homophobic, and hateful language is unfit for public office," Murphy, a Democrat, said. "If indeed that is Sheriff Saudino's voice on the recording, he must resign."

The sheriff, who is in his third term, leads about 600 employees. He did not issue a statement when contacted by WNYC.

Grewal was previously the top prosecutor in Bergen, the state's most populous county. He had worked with Saudino to run the Bergen County regional SWAT team. The two previously spoke together on a panel about racism and policing.

"On a personal level what he said, if it's true and accurate, is disappointing, because I think having worked with him for two years he would know better than most that I have law enforcement credentials," Grewal told WNYC. "You may expect it from people who don't know you, and don't know your credentials, and don't know how hard you work in this space, and what you've done in this space and what you've accomplished...that's the disappointing part it, to hear from someone who knows firsthand what I've done."

Others have targeted the attorney general for his religion. According to NJ.com, two radio hosts referred to Grewal as "turban man" in July, earning them a rebuke from Murphy.

In a New York Times articlepublished earlier this year, Grewal talked about encountering discrimination after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He told the paper that a homeless man would regularly confront him outside work. "He'd start yelling at the top of his lungs, 'I found him! I found him! I found bin Laden!'" the attorney general told the paper.

Between 200,000 and 500,000 Sikhs live in the United States. The Sikh Coalition reported that over 175 anti-Sikh hate crimes have occurred since 2001. The organization noted that "in the first month after the 9/11 attacks, the Sikh Coalition documented over 300 cases of violence and discrimination against Sikh Americans throughout the United States."