A mayoral candidate in Orange is facing heat for remarks he made about a city official in an audio recording leaked to the media.

Interim Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey made remarks about City Manager Michael Ciaravino without knowing he was being recorded during a phone call with another official.

"From day one, this guy has always pissed me off. I never wanted to let him know I didn't like him,” he said.

The comments were in a recorded phone call with Councilwoman Hillary Rayford back in August and leaked over the weekend.

Harvey is heard criticizing Ciaravino, saying he's "playing" the city manager to get what he wants in office.

"My goal is just to move the city forward especially for our community ... the black community,” he says in the recording.

It's not clear who leaked the audio to the media.

Mayor Harvey released a statement to News12 about the recording saying, "It was a private conversation with a councilwoman regarding a personnel matter and I can't discuss personnel matters publicly. I didn't know I was being recorded. That was unethical. I have no further comment."

Harvey is running against former Councilwoman Gay Lee to hold on to his seat.

Lee commented on the remarks Monday saying that it "suggests the mayor is two-faced."