Governor of New Jersey calls Sheriff to resign for making racist remarks against Sikh Attorney General

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy asks one of the sheriffs in the state to resign after the sheriff is reported to have made racist comments about New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who is American Sikh.

The Bergen County Sheriff, Michael Saudino, reportedly made many controversial remarks during a conversation that took place on Jan. 16 after Murphy's inauguration as governor, whose recordings were obtained by the WNYC.

In the recording, Saudino was talking about whether Murphy had made an appointment in Bergen County, according to the WNYC. When a sub-sheriff in the room noticed that Grewal was from Bergen County, Saudino reportedly replied, "He did not do it because of Bergen County." He did it because of the turban."

Grewal wears the turban because of his religious beliefs.

Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images FILE

Saudino also reportedly said in the recordings that when the governor talked about police issues such as marijuana and better criminal justice reform, he was telling residents of New Jersey that they could "do what they do." want. "

"Christ Almighty, in other words, let the blacks in, do what they want, smoke their marijuana, do this, do that, and do not worry about it," said Saudino. "You know, we'll tie the hands of the cops."

In another recording, Saudino claims to interview Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver by asking her, "Is she gay? Because she has never been married."

Office of the sheriffs of Bergen County

Grewal wrote on Twitter that he had developed a "thick skin" after being "called a lot worse". But he called Saudino's apparent comments about the black community "fake, racist and hurtful" and the comment about Oliver as "inappropriate and homophobic".

The source who provided the recordings to the WNYC told the public radio that they had been held in a county office building after attending Murphy's investiture. According to the WNYC, two sub-sheriffs were also in the room.

The governor said in a statement to ABC News that if Saudino expressed in the registration, he should 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 the statement. "If it's Sheriff Saudino's voice on the tape, he has to resign."

Grewal also tweeted that he supposed it was Saudino's voice after listening to the recording.

In a statement, Saudino apologized, saying that the remarks "are not representative" of who he is and that they "are in no way compatible with the way" he has lived his life personally and professionally, according to NJ.com.

"In order to repair the damage to the friendships I have built with these communities, I have directly contacted several respected leaders in communities that I have offended and have personally introduced my apologies and I asked for their forgiveness and forgiveness from the communities, "he said.

Saudino did not mention in the statement when he was going to resign.

A representative of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to ABC News's request for comment.

The Bergen County Executive, Jim Tedesco, echoed Murphy's statement, saying that he was "shocked and disappointed to hear these comments" and that he had been working with the sheriff "for years".

"The diversity of Bergen County is our strength and its statements are clearly inconsistent with our values," said Tedesco in a statement to ABC News. "In the public interest, he should resign."

Julio Cortez / AP

It is not the first time that Grewal, the country's first Sikh to hold the position of Attorney General, has dealt with racist comments made publicly.

In July, he was dubbed "turban man" by two conservative radio hosts on "The Dennis & Judy Show" on 101.5 radio in New Jersey.

Grewal took on Twitter to respond to the radio hosts, saying he told his three daughters to turn off the radio the day they made the remarks.

Saudino, an elected official, is serving his third term, according to his biography on the website of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office. He became a sheriff in 2011, has worked in the police for 41 years, and has lived in Bergen County for 53 years, according to his biography.

Bergen County is New Jersey's most populous county, and the office of its sheriff is the largest law enforcement agency in the state, with about 600 employees – all headed by Saudino, according to the WNYC. His responsibilities also include assisting municipal police and managing the Bergen County Jail, among other things, WNYC said.