Flint official resigns after blaming water crisis on 'n*****s' not paying their bills

A Flint official who worked at a government-operated bank resigned on Friday after activists leaked audio in which he is heard saying "f***ing n*****s (who) don't pay their bills" were to blame for the Flint water crisis.

Executive director of the Genesee County Land Bank Bank Michele M. Wildman said she accepted Phil Stair's resignation on Monday, according to MLive.

Wildman said she was "deeply troubled" by Stair's comments. "The citizens of Flint deserve to have trust in their public officials," said Wildman in a statement on Monday.

Images from the Flint Michigan water crisis:

"Flint has the same problems as Detroit — f***ing n*****s don't pay their bills, believe me, I deal with them," Stair can be heard saying on the recording posted by Truth Against The Machine on Sunday.

Environmental activist and independent journalist Chelsea Lyons, who has been active in the Flint water crisis, recorded Stair, who is white, making the racially charged comment after meeting him off a tip that he was at a local bar, Lyons said.

Stair attempts to clarify his words in the audio recording.

"I don't want to call them n*****s, shit I just went to Myrtle Beach, 24 guys, and I was the only white guy; I got friends, I mean, there's trash and there's people that do this shit.

"They just don't pay their bills. Well, Detroit, didn't collect on their bills, so they charged everybody else, but- Flint- Flint had to pay their bill to Detroit."

Lyons expressed concern over the comments given Genesee County Land Bank's current role in the Flint crisis. "The Land Bank is taking up all of the properties in Flint... They are pushing people out of neighborhood," Lyons said.

"This behavior is awful and indefensible. Phil Stair should be fired or resign immediately," tweeted Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee following the release of the audio recording.