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Resident says mayor scheduled to enter plea; mayor denies and addresses misconduct allegations
Summary
At public comment a resident alleged the mayor had a scheduled court date to potentially enter a guilty plea; Mayor Sal Bonacorso denied he would plead guilty and described the charges as misconduct allegations related to limited personal use of township resources, calling the matter politicized.
At the Oct. 21 Clark Township Council meeting, resident Mike Scholman told the council he believed Mayor Sal Bonacorso had a scheduled courthouse appearance on Nov. 6 to potentially enter a guilty plea, asserting that if a guilty plea occurred the mayor would forfeit office under state law. Scholman urged the council and voters to be aware of the pending court calendar when voting.
Scholman: "November 6th the mayor has another scheduled appointment currently scheduled to go back to the courthouse in Union County it's currently scheduled to potentially enter a guilty plea," he told the meeting.
Mayor Bonacorso responded from the dais, denying the assertion that he would enter a guilty plea on Nov. 6. "I will not be entering a guilty plea on November 6th," he said, adding that he had texted his attorney and that he intended to fight the charges. The mayor described the allegations as misconduct claims tied to limited personal uses of township personnel, a public fax machine and occasional emails, and said the issue had been expanded into a protracted inquiry by state investigators.
Bonacorso: "I am being brought up on misconduct for using Township personnel and office equipment ... I will not be entering a guilty plea on November 6th."
Other members of the public took opposing rhetorical positions: one speaker urged caution about treating allegations as convictions; another criticized a local political slate for online behavior and described political opposition as slander. The mayor disputed characterizations of the investigation and said the matter was being politicized in the run-up to the election.
Status and next steps: The statements at the meeting were claims, denials and descriptions of court scheduling and investigation status; no formal legal filings were introduced at the meeting. The transcript records the resident’s allegation and the mayor’s denial and explanation; further factual confirmation of court filings or scheduled pleas would require checking court records or the involved offices.
