A North Carolina sheriff was allegedly caught on tape saying, “I’m sick of these Black bastards,” vowing to “clean house and be done with it,” according to local reports. Now the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is probing possible obstruction of justice violations by Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene and individuals under his supervision, AL.com reports. Greene is alleged to have made the offensive comments in 2019 during a dispute over the election that installed him in office. The target of his ire was a group of Black deputies whom he thought remained loyal to Greene’s predecessor, Lewis Hatcher, who is Black. In a statement posted to his official Facebook page, Greene, a Republican, disputed the account, insisting, “I adamantly deny any racial intent or actions on my part,” and accusing his current Democratic rival of leaking the recording “to further incite racial division.” (He also said he didn’t recall the conversation, in an interview with NBC affiliate WECT.)