Clark, New Jersey Mayor Faces Allegations of Operating an Illegal Business from Town Hall after Racial Slurs Investigation
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin is filing criminal charges against the mayor of Clark. It comes after an investigation into racial slurs allegedly made by Mayor Salvator Bonaccorso.
“While acting in his official capacity as mayor, Bonaccorso operated his landscaping and illegal tank removal business out of his township office, utilizing municipal resources including township provided faxes, printers and computers to run the company,” said Platkin.
Bonaccorso, 63, is also charged with witness tampering and falsifying records. “Fraudulently used an engineer’s name, license number and forged signature on permit applications submitted to municipalities for tank removals,” said Platkin.
CBS New York reached out to Clark Township for a comment on the charges but received no response from a spokesperson or anyone at the mayor’s residence.
Debbie Flanagan, a Clark resident, spoke out against Bonaccorso before the charges were announced. “If a mayor or someone or politician is doing illegal things, then they should resign,” she said. “Clark is very good, a good place. And [Bonaccorso] made it better than the mayor before him.”
Platkin said the criminal charges came as a result of another investigation into the police department, its chief and claims of racist comments made by the mayor at another official. It led to a 43-page report alleging racially-motivated arrests as well as failure to investigate allegations of misconduct.
“As a percentage of the population, Black individuals were arrested at a disproportionate rate,” said Platkin. We were unable to get comment from the police department, which is now under the county’s supervision. Platkin said records obtained by his office were not enough to charge police officials. He is making a series of recommendations for the police department and demanding the police chief resigns or be fired. Only the mayor can fire the police chief.
