New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed criminal charges against the mayor of Clark following an investigation into alleged racial slurs made by Mayor Salvator Bonaccorso. While acting in his official capacity as mayor, Bonaccorso is accused of operating his landscaping and illegal tank removal business out of his township office, using municipal resources to run the company.
In addition to the charges of 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, Bonaccorso is also facing allegations that he made racially-motivated arrests during his time as mayor. A 43-page report released by the attorney general’s office revealed that Black individuals were arrested at a disproportionate rate, despite insufficient records obtained by the police department.
When CBS New York reached out to Clark Township for a comment on the charges, a spokesperson for Bonaccorso stated that they had no comment. Efforts to obtain a comment from the mayor’s residence were unsuccessful. However, residents spoke out about their opinions on the matter before the charges were announced. One resident stated that if a mayor or someone 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.
As an Emmy Award-winning reporter who covers New Jersey for CBS 2 New York, Christine Sloan has been rejoining the station in January 2023 after previously working there from 2004 to 2016.
