A sheriff in New Jersey has resigned after being heard on tape making racist comments about the state’s first Sikh Attorney General and Blacks, the Indian New England reports.
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino can be heard on tape saying Attorney General Gurbir Grewal was appointed because of “the turban.”
“He didn’t do that to help Bergen County. He did that because of the turban,” he says.
He also said Governor Phil Murphy’s policies would allow Blacks to “come in, do whatever the (expletive) they want, smoke their marijuana, do this do that.”
WNYC published the tape recorded after Murphy was inaugurated in January.
The Governor immediately called for Saudino’s resignation.
“We can now begin the process of restoring faith in the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office after so much of it was so quickly eroded. And, we can begin the process of ensuring that the bigoted beliefs displayed by the former Sheriff are not given shelter in any corner of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office — now or in the future,” Gov. Murphy said.
Saudino has since apologized.
“At this time I would like to offer my sincere apology to the people of Bergen County for the insensitive recorded remarks that were made public today. These remarks are not representative of the person that I am, and they are in no way consistent with the manner in which I have conducted my life personally and as a law enforcement professional.”
You can hear the recording below.
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