A lawmaker in Brownsville, Texas has apologized after he was caught on tape calling two district attorneys “f*cking n**gers” while complaining about how they do their jobs.

According to the Brownsville Herald, City Commissioner Cesar De Leon (D) issued an apology earlier this week after social media users shared audio clips of him slurring the two attorneys.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I want to begin by apologizing,” De Leon said in an interview. “I want to apologize to the citizens of Brownsville or whoever had to listen to those tapes because there is a lot of profane language and that was a private conversation. It was never meant to be public, but it’s very important that people understand that I’m very apologetic.”

In the clips, De Leon is heard criticizing District Attorney Luis Saenz over appointments to his office.

“There are a couple of f*cking n**gers that Luis Saenz is getting, and I don’t know where he is getting them from,” De Leon is heard saying. “They are coming down to my f*cking city and now they are trying to f*cking put everybody in jail because they think we are a bunch of Mexicans that hit our wives, which couldn’t be further from the f*cking truth, but that is how they see us.”

“I would never dare use that word, but you know what, yes, there are a couple of n**gers in there that think that all of us are f*cking taco eaters,” De Leon added.

In response, DA Saenz issued a statement:: “The people of Cameron County expect me to hire the most competent prosecutors that I can find, without regard to their race, and that is what I strive to do. Mr. De Leon’s remarks are very shameful and hurtful. It is extremely disappointing that they are made by a lawyer and a representative of the City of Brownsville.”