Self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” Tiffany Henyard is under increased scrutiny after trustees on the village’s board began voicing their concerns about the mayor’s lavish spending. Today, the trustees are just some of the many disgruntled residents in the south suburban village of Dolton, Illinois, who have called out Henyard over her indiscriminate spending on the dime of Dolton taxpayers.
Fox 23 Chicago is one of several outlets reporting that the FBI has initiated a probe into the conduct of Mayor Henyard. Against the backdrop of this alleged probe are mounting lawsuits that accuse the mayor of allegations including wrongful termination and indirect involvement in a sexual assault.
Henyard made national headlines late last year after residents began calling into question her lavish spending habits, most visibly on campaign billboards throughout the village. Some reports indicate Henyard has spent over $1 million in tax dollars for her police detail alone. The mayor also billed the city nearly $8,000 for expenses related to her hair and makeup team. Between April 6 and June 5, 2023, there have been a recorded six transactions related to beauty services.
Other lavish expenses include excessive spending on first-class flights, hotel packages, high-end restaurants, and other luxury services. In a recent trip to Las Vegas, Henyard paid more than $8,400 on hotels, nearly $600 at a steakhouse, and over $3,700 on just her round trip flight alone.
It was on that trip that one of the mayor’s now former assistants says that she was the victim of a sexual assault carried out by one of Dolton’s trustees. The accused trustee has not been named, but the victim filed a complaint with the Department of Human Rights and the case is currently under investigation.
In an effort to shine a light on Henyard’s excessive spending, members of the board of trustees passed a resolution that would require Henyard to make public her spending through the village’s financial records. The resolution also called for an FBI investigation into Henyard’s administration.
In a regularly scheduled town meeting in early March, Henyard vetoed the resolution, sparking more outrage among the board of trustees and residents. Additionally, Henyard shared during the meeting, “To my staff, I apologize for all the mess that the board of trustees have created.” The mayor did admit that the village was in a $2 million deficit, but the board of trustees believes that number is higher.
One resident, business owner Lawrence Gardner, says that his trucking business was among several that were compelled to comply with a $3,500 donation to the village when Henyard took office. He says that after he stopped donating money to her campaign, his company and others were denied village licensing to operate.
Gardner shared with ABC 7 news that he has been talking to FBI officials about his concerns and that there were “multiple agencies investigating Dolton and Mayor Henyard.”
On the heels of the reported FBI probe, the Illinois Attorney General's Office sent a cease and desist letter to Henyard’s namesake charity, Tiffany Henyard Cares. The letter was sent after the foundation failed to provide reports on its funding.
A spokesperson representing the village and Mayor Henyard has shared that they are not aware of any investigations from the FBI against Heyward or her administration. The statement reads in part, "Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the Village of Dolton have not received any subpoenas and have not been contacted by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency."
Along with Gardner, five other residents have confirmed to local outlet Fox 23 that they have been in contact with the FBI and have been interviewed by agents. At least one of the individuals interviewed was a public official.
