In recent news, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed criminal charges against Mayor Salvator Bonaccorso of Clark following an investigation into alleged racial slurs made by the mayor while in office. The investigation found that Bonaccorso operated his landscaping and illegal tank removal business out of his township office, using municipal resources to run the company. He is also charged with witness tampering and falsifying records, including using an engineer’s name, license number, and forged signature on permit applications submitted to municipalities for tank removals.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Bonaccorso stated that they had no comment on the matter. Efforts to obtain a comment at his residence were unsuccessful. Two residents of Clark expressed their opinions on the situation. One resident stated that if a mayor or anyone else is doing illegal things, they should resign. Another resident commented that Clark is a good place and that Bonaccorso made it better than the previous mayor. However, these comments were made before the charges were announced.
The criminal charges against Bonaccorso come after another investigation into the police department and its chief, as well as claims of racist comments made by the mayor led to a 43-page report alleging racially-motivated arrests as well as a failure to investigate allegations of misconduct. The report stated that Black individuals were arrested at a disproportionate rate. Records obtained by the attorney general’s office were insufficient to charge police officials, and the police department is now under county supervision.
Christine Sloan is an Emmy Award-winning reporter who covers New Jersey for CBS 2 New York. She re-joined the station in January 2023 after previously working at CBS 2 New York from 2004 to 2016
