Clark Officials Paid $400K To Cover Up Racial Slurs Said By Mayor: Report

CLARK, NJ — Clark officials attempted to conceal allegations made against the town's mayor, police chief and a supervisor in internal affairs for using racial slurs with a $400K inside deal, according to an investigation by NJ Advance Media.

Two years ago, a whistleblower in Clark Township came forward with the allegations against the town officials with a secret recording of them using offensive words, referring to Black people as "shines," "spooks" and the N-word.

According to NJ.com, Clark officials agreed to pay the whistleblower $400K to avoid a public lawsuit. NJ Advance found that under the agreement, the whistleblower — police Lieutenant Antonia Manata — turned the recordings over to the township. Clark allowed Manata to remain on the payroll without working until he retired at the rank of captain last month with his full pension, according to the investigation.

This kept the controversy from coming out until July of 2020, six months after the agreement, when the Union County Prosecutor's Office took over Clark's Police Department after "misconduct allegations."

Read more: Prosecutor Takes Over Clark Police After Misconduct Allegations

Clark's Police Chief Pedro Matos and internal affairs Sgt. Joseph Teston were immediately placed on paid administrative leave, according to township records, as well as police captain Vincent Concina, whom Mantana accused of retaliation.

"The residents of Clark Township deserve police leaders that meet the highest standards of the profession," Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo said at the time.

"We will conduct a full inquiry into credible allegations of misconduct, and at the same time we will continue to work with our local partners to build greater trust between Clark's law enforcement officers and the community they serve."

Despite prosecutors promising a public report of their findings, 20 months later, the three suspended officers still continue to receive six-figure salaries at a combined cost of $763,000 to taxpayers through March 15, according to NJ.com.

Mantana's attorney also claims that Union County prosecutors are retaliating against him by seeking to block him from receiving his pension.

Longtime Mayor Sal Bonaccorso denied the accusations that he and others used racist language, according to NJ.com. Bonaccorso was elected to his sixth term in office in Nov. 2020, running unopposed. He is now Clark's longest-serving mayor.

The secret recording of the Clark officials' conversation can be found on NJ.com's YouTube. As a disclaimer, expletive language is used in the recording.

The full details of the lawsuit can be read on NJ.com.

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