The mayor of Clark Township is facing criminal charges.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin says that Mayor Salvatore Bonaccorso used township property and employees to run his landscaping business. The mayor also is accused of filing forged permit applications to remove underground oil storage tanks.
Bonaccorso also faces official misconduct charges for running a tank removal business out of his mayor’s office. He faces five years in prison if convicted.
Platkin’s office also released a scathing review of the town, alleging misconduct by Clark officials. The attorney general recommended that the police chief and internal affairs officer be fired.
The investigation alleges that Clark Township police officers used racist, sexist and antisemitic statements.
An official review showed that 44% of people arrested in Clark were Black, even though 93% of the township's residents are white. The attorney general says criminal charges are not being pursued.
An attorney for Bonaccorso did not wish to comment on the allegations.