Recording Captures Brown Camp Calling Whitman a 'Whore'

In a private conversation captured on audiotape, California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown or one of his aides can be heard referring to Republican rival Meg Whitman as a "whore," the Los Angeles Times reported late Thursday.

The exchange, recorded by a voicemail, discussed Whitman cutting a deal to protect law enforcement pensions as the candidates competed for endorsements from police, the L.A. Times said.

In an audio recording available on the L.A. Times blog PolitiCal, Brown can be heard leaving a voice message for Scott Rate, a union official for the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

After asking Rate for the league’s endorsement, Brown says ‘thanks’ and hangs up the phone, but the call doesn’t end.

Instead, the message continues to record and Brown can be heard talking about the situation with his aides.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
Police: Florida Father Kills Estranged Wife, 4 Stepchildren, Then Kills Himself
Whose helicopter is it? Report of attack on Somali coast town leaves unanswered questions
Paranoid Much? Try These Gadgets
JPMorgan Top Bank for Underwriting but Revenue Halves
AIG, U.S. Move Closer to Deal on Bailout Exit: Sources

After Brown discusses his frustration with Whitman potentially cutting a deal for several seconds, another voice appears to interject saying, “What about saying that she’s a whore?”

“Well I’m going to use that,” Brown replies. “It proves you’ve cut a secret deal to protect the pensions.”

The tape was released to the paper by the Los Angeles police union, the newspaper reported.

A Brown campaign spokesman confirmed the tape’s authenticity, but “said that Brown was responding to the notion of accusing Whitman of cutting a deal to gain endorsements, not to the use of the word ‘whore,’” the L.A. Times said.

Whitman campaign spokesman Sarah Pompei released a response to reports of the recording late Thursday.

"The use of the term 'whore' is an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California. This is an appalling and unforgivable smear against Meg Whitman. At the very least Mr. Brown tacitly approved this despicable slur and he himself may have used the term at least once on this recording," Pompei said.