Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso continues to face withering criticism and calls for his resignation after revelations that the township agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to a whistleblower who threatened to expose secret recordings that allegedly captured Bonaccorso, the police chief and an internal affairs sergeant using racial slurs.

The condemnation came from Clark residents, Union County’s board of commissioners, and a fellow mayor who once defended Bonaccorso against charges of racism. It also included a prominent member of Bonaccorso’s own Republican party, Tom Kean Jr., who is running for Congress in the district and has campaigned in the past with the six-term mayor.

“These are very disturbing allegations,” Kean, a former state Senate minority leader, said in a statement. “As elected officials, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards. We cannot tolerate racism in public service, and I know the mayor understands that.”

Criticism of Bonaccorso has mounted since an NJ Advance Media investigation revealed last week that Bonaccorso, Police Chief Pedro Matos, and internal affairs sergeant Joseph Teston were allegedly recorded referring to Blacks as “spooks,” “shines,” and the N-word. Bonaccorso also allegedly excoriated women in law enforcement, calling them “all [expletive] disasters.”

Two years ago, the township concealed the allegations by quietly agreeing to pay the whistleblower and his attorney $400,000 under a legal settlement. The whistleblower,...

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