Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed will hold a press conference at noon today to respond further to leaked audio of him purportedly making profanity-filled remarks about several topics, including the Black vote, economic development, and apathy about Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base.

Reed said in a statement Monday night that the audio, which sounds heavily edited, was recorded without his knowledge three years ago and “features carefully selected sound bites of my voice.” He claimed the recording was part of an extortion attempt against him.

Today’s press conference is to be carried live on the city’s Facebook page.

“There is an audio clip that features me speaking privately with a member of the Montgomery community,” the mayor said. “This clip has been heavily edited and features carefully selected sound bites of my voice. The conversation was recorded without my knowledge or consent by this community member almost three years ago.

Read more: Montgomery activist: Leaked audio shows Mayor Steven Reed didn’t support Black community

“The meeting with this community member was prompted by our concerns about civil unrest in the immediate aftermath of the death of George Floyd. During this meeting, it became abundantly clear to me that this individual sought personal financial gain during a time of crisis in our city, state, and country. You have my word that no one in my administration will ever give in to a shakedown or extortion,” Reed continued.

Reed was elected mayor in 2019, replacing Mayor Todd Strange, who did not seek another term. Reed got 42 percent of the vote to lead a field of 12 candidates in August 2019, then defeated Montgomery TV station owner David Woods in the runoff by a 2-to-1 margin. Reed is the first Black mayor of the Capital City, known for its history associated with the Confederacy and the civil rights movement. Before becoming mayor, Reed was the probate judge in Montgomery County.

The first recording, called “Montgomery AL’s First Black Mayor Doesn’t Care About Black Votes,” was posted Sunday to a YouTube account labeled “Montgomery Deserves Better.”

In the leaked audio, Reed purportedly says that support from white voters is more important for his political survival — and that “white money” is key to Montgomery’s economy.

“I can come smile. I don’t f—— got to do no goddamn work. I don’t have to do no work systemically and I’m gonna be fine. And guess what? I will always get 38 to 45 percent of the white vote. If I get 30 to 45 percent of the white vote, I don’t f—— have to damn get the Black vote I got this past election and I’ll f—— win,” the mayor allegedly says.

“You got [a] Black city? That’s great. You can have all Black everything, that’s great. You can have all Black everything, and guess what? You won’t have green nothing if the white money thinks that you aren’t looking after their s— they will take their s— to Prattville, they will take their s— to Pike Road and you won’t have s—,” Reed allegedly says.

In the second recording, the mayor purportedly appears to say he doesn’t care about Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery because he doesn’t “know nobody there.” The recording and the third snippet were obtained by 1819, which first reported on the story. The outlet did not say who provided them with the clips.

“I’m not gonna tear up a single f—— conversation with the governor or lieutenant governor about Maxwell Gunter [Air Force Base], because guess what? I don’t know nobody who works in Maxwell Gunther except for the people I have to meet as a mayor. I don’t know nobody there, so if that s— is so important to y’all, then y’all better do some shit that’s important to me.”

In the third piece of audio, Reed allegedly appears to say that staffers or residents shouldn’t criticize his TV appearances because it fosters investment to Montgomery.

“So what I’m gonna tell Karen when I meet with them — don’t ever f—– tell me that I’m on f—– TV. Every time I’m on f—– TV I get somebody from New York and L.A., they call me about how they can invest in goddamn Montgomery,” the mayor purportedly says.

Reed allegedly goes on to say that “the descendants of Confederate soldiers” won’t invest in “systemic change” in Montgomery.

“You think motherf—— gonna invest in Montgomery? You think I expect the descendants of Confederate soldiers f—– invest beyond what’s good for them? They give you some charity, they’ll give you some charity. … they do something a little nice over at Valiant Cross, where I’m on the board. But will they really invest in systemic change? Hell f—– nah, they’re not gonna invest in it. So don’t ever mix up what I’m doing . … you haven’t seen a scientist as diabolical as me because no one has come into this with what I have.

“I got 45 years of being my dad’s son who was sitting in at 19..,” the mayor allegedly says before the audio is abruptly cut off.

Reed’s father is Joe Reed, longtime leader of the Alabama Democratic Conference, the Black political organization that is influential in the Alabama Democratic Party.