The ongoing mess in Clark Township is a sad reminder of what happens when local government tries to hide the truth from the people. Our mayor, Sal Bonaccorso, and the town council have spent millions of taxpayer dollars fighting to keep a scandal under wraps. And now, NJ.com reports they’re doubling down, wasting even more money to go after the very whistleblower who exposed the corruption in the first place!
Former Police Lt. Antonio Manata called out Mayor Bonaccorso and top police officials for using racial slurs, including the N-word. Instead of dealing with the problem, the town paid him a $400,000 settlement to stay quiet. But guess what? The Attorney General already said that confidentiality clause wasn’t enforceable—it was illegal! So why are they still wasting our money trying to punish him?
Clark Township is now claiming Manata broke the confidentiality deal by allegedly leaking recordings to the press. But there’s no proof! Manata even denies he leaked anything, and let’s be honest, the real damage here isn’t that the truth came out—it’s that the town has corrupt leadership that tried to hide the truth to begin with!
This whole situation shows us exactly what’s wrong with government today. The mayor and his buddies are more focused on covering their tracks and intimidating people who speak up, instead of cleaning up their mess. And it’s us, the taxpayers, who are footing the bill. Why should we have to pay for their bad behavior?
To make things worse, Bonaccorso isn’t even owning up to his mistakes. He’s running for reelection while facing unrelated charges for misusing his office to benefit his landscaping business. How can we trust him to lead our town when he’s buried under scandal after scandal?
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a political game. These actions have severely damaged Clark Township’s reputation, and the longer this drags on, the harder it will be for our town to recover. It’s time for Mayor Bonaccorso and the council to stop fighting to hide the truth, stop wasting our hard-earned money, and start being honest with the people they serve. If they can’t do that, they need to step down and make way for leaders who can.
Clark deserves better. We deserve leaders who are transparent, accountable, and who actually care about the future of our town, not just their own hides. This isn’t about left or right—it’s about doing what’s right for our community.
read the full article at nj.com:
