CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Jurors in the fraud trial of former executives at the truck stop chain Pilot Flying J have heard a portion of secret recordings that include one of the defendants saying the n-word.

Pilot Flying J is controlled by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. They were not at the meeting and were not on the recording played at trial.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports on its Facebook page that federal prosecutors and the defense negotiated a limited release of the recordings.

The judge has described the recordings as "vile" and "despicable." The newspaper has asked that transcriptions of them be unsealed.

The audio played in court included former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood using the racial epithet.