The FBI has launched an investigation into Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard for alleged misconduct.
Henyard, who refers to herself as “super mayor,” is accused of drowning the Village of Dolton in $7 million debt since she was elected in 2021.
According to WGN News, Henyard attends village meetings dressed like the fictional drug dealer Nino Brown in the 1991 movie “New Jack City.”
In one photo on her Instagram page, Henyard poses in her office with a stuffed toy dog, similar to the real dog Nino Brown had in New Jack City.
Dolton is a village of 20,000 residents just south of Chicago. The village is more than 90% Black.
Mayor Henyard is accused of spending over $1 million in taxpayer funds on a security detail of police officers.
One officer was paid for 332 hours of overtime in a 2-week period. There are only 336 hours in 14 days. His paycheck was over $13,000.
Residents say Henyard has spent hundreds of thousands on first-class trips, events, and an ice rink.
When City Council members stopped payments on the installation of the ice skating rink, Henyard went around them and hired a different company to complete the installation.
“The spending has become unbearable for the residents. It’s parties and a lot of events. It’s resources in reference to making it look like something is being done, but we really can’t afford it,” Dolton, Illinois, trustee, Kiana Belcher told the NY Post.
“A million dollars of overtime for the police department is absurd. We can’t afford it,” Belcher added
In addition to her duties as mayor, Henyard kept her job as Thornton Township Supervisor. Between her 2 elected positions, she earns $285,000 annually. She will draw from 2 pensions when she retires.
Information obtained in a public records request by WGN News showed Henyard and other officials spent nearly $67,000 in Thornton Township funds on trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City.
A vocal critic of Henyard’s believes the mayor sent someone to shoot up her property.
Former Village of Dolton Trustee Valeria Stubbs says 2 cars belonging to her tenants were riddled with bullets last July.
Stubbs, a retired member of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, says the drive-by shooting occurred after she accused Henyard of misuse of taxpayer funds.
FOX 32 News has been covering Henyard’s alleged corruption for nearly two years. The outlet reports that federal agents are in the Village of Dolton interviewing residents about the mayor.
Lawrence Gardner, who owns a U-Haul rental and trucking business, told FOX 32 he went to the FBI months ago.
Gardner became frustrated that the Village of Dolton would not renew his business license if he didn’t donate to Henyard’s reelection campaign.
Gardner said he’s been harassed and his business raided and shut down by Dolton Police.
FOX 32 has learned the FBI spoke to at least six people in Dolton. The feds also used electronic surveillance equipment as part of its investigation.
A source told FOX 32 the feds are interested in Mayor Henyard’s misuse of tax dollars in police overtime, her alleged use of public employees and tax dollars for personal benefit, and holding up licenses to certain businesses.
A PR firm representing Henyard told FOX 32 News, “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.”
