CLARK, NJ — Although Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso had been denying recent accusations that he had made racist and sexist statements, last week he did an about-face and admitted his culpability on video, all the while downplaying his guilt.
Bonaccorso’s dirty laundry was made public when transcripts of the recordings made by former Clark police Lt. Antonio Manata of the mayor using slurs and expletives against black people and women were published on NJ.com on Wednesday, March 30, as part of an investigation by NJ Advance Media. Clark had paid Manata $400,000 in exchange for him turning over his recordings and agreeing not to file a lawsuit in the matter.
Other officers have also been put on administrative leave during the investigation, and Manata, the whistleblower in this case, is having trouble getting Clark to pay his pension.
Manata’s attorney, Valerie Palma DeLuisi, released a statement saying Manata was forced into retirement and that the settlement was to offset lost future earnings.
The state Office of the Attorney General is investigating these allegations of misconduct, and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office has been directed to maintain supersession authority over the Clark Police Department until further notice.
In response to the NJ.com story, Bonaccorso released a four-and-a-half-minute video on Tuesday, April 5, in which he responded to the allegations.
“I’m here today to say I’ve made mistakes, and I’d like to apologize for the pain I caused to the residents of Clark, my family, my friends and all those who were offended by my comments,” the mayor said early in the video, reading from a prepared statement. “They had a right to expect more from me. My words should not reflect on any of them. I deeply apologize for my hurtful and insensitive language. It was wrong. I am embarrassed and ashamed to have spoken that way about a race of people. I have learned, and I have changed, and it will not happen again.”
Bonaccorso went on to say that he was man enough to admit his mistakes. He then explained how the Black Lives Matter marches of 2020 were a catalyst for his change.
“After interacting with people of all generations and races at several rallies and hearing their moving stories, I started to see a much bigger picture of how discrimination played into a complex history,” said the mayor. “These experiences challenged my assumptions. I have never discriminated against anyone based on race, gender and/or any other grouping. I always treat people respectfully and fairly. I also learned after my interactions with these local rallies that people didn’t see me or maybe my beloved town that way. I never forgot that.”
The mayor continued to insist that he was not the man who had been secretly recorded. He said the biggest mistake he made was in not sharing his insights and the lessons he learned from these local rallies.
Bonaccorso then switched topics to address his remarks about the female Clark police officer, admitting, “They were hurtful and I’m sorry,” but adding that they were part of a larger conversation about several Clark police officers, and that he couldn’t remember every conversation that he’d had three or four years earlier. He reiterated that he is a different man today.
For the last part of the video, the mayor switched topics completely, to talk about Mark Bullock, the CEO of the nonprofit New Life Community Development Corp. of New Jersey and a friend of a friend. New Life CDC’s mission is “to meet people’s needs in all areas of living through community outreach and collaborative efforts that would result in a better community.”
“After a long, heartfelt, truthful conversation with Mark, I’ve decided it’s time to continue my learning with action,” said Bonaccorso. “Starting immediately, I will be working with Mark and members of his organization to contribute to communities and to bring people together.”
The mayor’s words didn’t appease many in the community, with Gov. Phil Murphy, former state Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean Jr. and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez among the growing chorus of voices asking for the Union County Republican to resign.
When LocalSource tried to reach the mayor for comment on Monday, April 11, the Mayor’s Office referred to the April 5 video and said the mayor had no further comment.
Elizabeth Clee, Clark’s director of communications and business development, did not return a voicemail message left on Monday, April 11.
Michael Sheets, the person at the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said to be handling the mayor’s case, responded to inquiries that he could not comment at this time, as the state Attorney General’s Office has taken over.