Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino announced his resignation Friday after an audio recording surfaced that depicts him making racist and disparaging comments earlier this year.

Executive Undersheriff George Buono, Undersheriff Robert Colaneri, Undersheriff Brian Smith and Undersheriff Joseph Hornyak have also submitted their resignations, effective immediately.

Saudino issued an apology Thursday after the recordings were made public. He also said that he personally apologized to the people about whom the comments were made.

The recording, obtained by WNYC radio, was made after Gov. Phil Murphy’s inauguration in January. On it, Saudino is heard saying Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, a practicing Sikh, was appointed because of "the turban." He also said Murphy's policies would allow blacks to "come in, do whatever the (expletive) they want, smoke their marijuana, do this, do that." The sheriff is also heard questioning whether Lt. Gov. Shelia Oliver was gay.

Once the comments were made public state officials all called for Saudino’s resignation.

A spokesperson for the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department says in a statement that Sheriff’s Office Chief Kevin Pell will be the officer-in-charge of the sheriff’s department’s operations, and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Warden Steve Ahrendt will be the officer-in-charge of the Bergen County jail’s operations.

Attorney General Grewal released a statement shortly after Saudino’s resignation that said in part, “Sheriff Saudino’s resignation is an important first step in repairing the relationship between the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the diverse communities it serves.”

The statement continued, “But our work does not stop there. The fact that a top official could make racist comments about the African-American community – and that no one in the room would challenge or correct him – raises serious concerns. Two weeks ago, the Attorney General’s Office launched the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) to help investigate violations of the public trust and to strengthen the public’s confidence in our political and criminal justice institutions. OPIA was designed precisely for incidents like this, and Tom Eicher, the new OPIA Director, will work with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office to examine whether there are deeper issues that warrant a wider investigation.”

Gov. Murphy is expected to appoint an interim sheriff at a later date.