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A few hours after Governor Philip D. Murphy called for legalizing marijuana in his inaugural speech in January, the sheriff of New Jersey's most populous county would have disparaged the proposal in racist terms, saying "in other words let the blacks in.
"Smoke their marijuana, do that, and do not worry," said Michael Saudino, the sheriff of Bergen County, according to a report published online Thursday by the WNYC. "You know, we're going to tie the hands of the cops."
Mr. Saudino's comments came from a recording obtained by the radio station this week and also included racist remarks about Gurbir Grewal, the New Jersey Attorney General, who is a Sikh.
"He did not do that because of Bergen County; he did so because of the turban, "Saudino said of the governor's selection of Mr. Grewal, who at the time was the county attorney for Bergen.
The sheriff also made an inflammatory remark about Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.
"Is she gay? Because she's never been married, "Saudino asked the others in Ms. Oliver's room.
After listening to the tape, Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, immediately called Mr. Saudino to resign.
"Undoubtedly, the comments made on this recording are appalling and anyone who uses racist, homophobic and hateful language is unfit to perform a public function," Murphy said in a statement. "If indeed it is Saudino sheriff's voice on the record, he has to resign."
A spokesman for Mr. Saudino did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bergen County is New Jersey's most populous county with about 950,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent estimate from the United States Census. It is also diverse, with a population of approximately 20% Hispanic, 17% Asian-American and 7% Black, according to the census.
In New Jersey, county sheriffs are elected. Mr. Saudino was elected sheriff in 2010 as a Republican after being police chief of the Bergen County Borough in Emerson. He changed his political affiliation to Democrats for the 2016 elections.
This is not his first contact with the controversy. In the 2012 election, Kathleen Donovan, the executive of Bergen County, accused Mr Saudino of having referred to him with a vulgar term and then refused to meet him. Mr. Saudino denied making this remark and called the person who spoke to Ms. Donovan about this remark, a "lying rat".
As sheriff, Mr. Saudino worked with Mr. Grewal before being appointed Attorney General by Mr. Murphy.
After hearing the recording, Mr. Grewal also called Mr. Saudino to resign.
"I have thick skin and I have felt a lot worse," Grewal said in a statement. "But the comments about the African-American community are false, racist and hurtful. The comments on our lieutenant governor are inappropriate and homophobic. New Jersey and Bergen County deserve better.
Grewal, the first Sikh American in the country to become Attorney General, has been the target of many racist and derogatory remarks since his appointment last year.
In July, two New Jersey radio personalities, 101.5, a conservative-minded radio station, repeatedly called Mr. Grewal a "turban" man.
They were suspended for 10 days.
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