SACRAMENTO (KCBS) - An audio tape was released Thursday night of California's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Jerry Brown, talking with a campaign worker in which someone on that tape referred to Meg Whitman as a "whore."

The private conversation between the two happened right after Attorney General Brown called the Los Angeles Police union. Apparently they were unaware they were being recorded.

The Democratic candidate left a message for an official at the union, but didn't realize he didn't hang up the phone all the way after leaving that message, so the conversation with a campaign aide afterwards was caught on tape.

They were discussing Whitman possibly cutting a deal to protect law enforcement pensions as the candidates compete for endorsement from police.

Another voice interjects in the conversation saying "What about saying she's a whore?" Brown later replies "I'm going to use that."

It was the union which released the tape to the L.A. Times.

L.A. Police union spokesman Scott Rate says Brown was panicked about who the union was going to endorse and slipped up.

A Brown campaign spokesman has confirmed the tape's authenticity, but "says that Brown was responding to the notion of accusing Whitman of cutting a deal to gain endorsements, not the use of the word 'whore'.

In a brief statement released Thursday evening, campaign manager Steven Glazer said,  "This was a jumbled and often inaudible recording of a private conversation. At times our language was salty. We apologize to Ms. Whitman and anyone who may have been offended."

Whitman's campaign spokesman released a response saying, "The use of the term 'whore' is an insult to both Meg Whitman and to the women of California".

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