New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has filed criminal charges against the mayor of Clark after an investigation into alleged racial slurs made by Mayor Salvator Bonaccorso. While acting in his official capacity as mayor, Bonaccorso allegedly operated his landscaping and illegal tank removal business out of his township office, using municipal resources to run the company.

The criminal charges against Bonaccorso also include 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 CBS New York reached out to Clark Township for a comment, a spokesperson for Bonaccorso stated that he had no comment. Efforts to obtain a comment at the mayor’s residence were unsuccessful.

In addition to the criminal charges against Bonaccorso, another investigation into the police department and its chief 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.